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What determines the income gap between French male and female GPs - the role of medical practices

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  • Magali Dumontet

    (CERMES3 - UMR 8211 / U988 / UM 7 - CERMES3 - Centre de recherche Médecine, sciences, santé, santé mentale, société - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - UPD5 - Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Marc Le Vaillant

    (CERMES3 - UMR 8211 / U988 / UM 7 - CERMES3 - Centre de recherche Médecine, sciences, santé, santé mentale, société - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - UPD5 - Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Carine Franc

    (CERMES3 - UMR 8211 / U988 / UM 7 - CERMES3 - Centre de recherche Médecine, sciences, santé, santé mentale, société - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - UPD5 - Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5 - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In many OECD countries, the gender differences in physicians' pay favour male doctors. Due to the feminisation of the doctor profession, it is essential to measure this income gap in the French context of Fee-for-service payment (FFS) and then to precisely identify its determinants. The objective of this study is to measure and analyse the 2008 income gap between males and females general practitioners (GPs). This paper focuses on the role of gender medical practices differentials among GPs working in private practice in the southwest region of France. METHODS: Using data from 339 private-practice GPs, we measured an average gender income gap of approximately 26% in favour of men. Using the decomposition method, we examined the factors that could explain gender disparities in income. RESULTS: The analysis showed that 73% of the income gap can be explained by the average differences in doctors' characteristics; for example, 61% of the gender income gap is explained by the gender differences in workload, i.e., number of consultations and visits, which is on average significantly lower for female GPs than for male GPs. Furthermore, the decomposition method allowed us to highlight the differences in the marginal returns of doctors' characteristics and variables contributing to income, such as GP workload; we found that female GPs have a higher marginal return in terms of earnings when performing an additional medical service. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study help to understand the determinants of the income gap between male and female GPs. Even though workload is clearly an essential determinant of income, FFS does not reduce the gender income gap, and there is an imperfect relationship between the provision of medical services and income. In the context of feminisation, it appears that female GPs receive a lower income but attain higher marginal returns when performing an additional consultation.

Suggested Citation

  • Magali Dumontet & Marc Le Vaillant & Carine Franc, 2012. "What determines the income gap between French male and female GPs - the role of medical practices," Post-Print inserm-00761590, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:inserm-00761590
    DOI: 10.1186/1471-2296-13-94
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://inserm.hal.science/inserm-00761590
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    Cited by:

    1. Magali Dumontet & Carine Franc, 2015. "Gender differences in French GPs’ activity: the contribution of quantile regressions," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 16(4), pages 421-435, May.
    2. Kralj, Boris & O'Toole, Danielle & Vanstone, Meredith & Sweetman, Arthur, 2022. "The gender earnings gap in medicine: Evidence from Canada," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(10), pages 1002-1009.
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