Why do radiologists have a relatively high salary compared to the other medical specialities ?
High liability is a big reason. Every time a radiologist puts his/her name on a reading, such as calling a mammogram normal, there is risk if the patient later develops cancer. Also, some radiologists are interventional radiologists. They don’t merely read studies performed by X-ray techs, they do procedures with imaging equipment such as ultrasound or fluoroscopy. This adds liability and that increases fees. Plus, procedures always pay better than just thinking and giving opinions or instructions. Those are the appropriate reasons for a healthy paycheck for radiologists. But simply lobbying Medicare to overpay you is also an effective, even if not justifiable, way of raising income by being paid more, as Medicare rates generally drive the industry and other insurers follow suit overpaying in the same way. I don’t know that this has happened, merely that it may have. Also, if there are radiology shortages, whether by accident or design, prices go up. One big danger to non-interventiona
