EP Lab DigestCardiac Electrophysiologist Compensation and the Helix

Fair market value regulations systematically undercompensate cardiac electrophysiologists through flawed RVU models and benchmark manipulation, according to November 2025 Heart Rhythm paper. Hospital compensation offices exploit survey benchmarks by reporting total compensation percentiles while paying below-standard dollar-per-RVU rates, which is particularly problematic at academic centers where grants and school funding inflate total compensation figures.

🎯 PROFESSIONAL IMPACT

• FMV methodologies fail to value extensive training and complex procedural skills of EPs and other specialists, creating systematic undervaluation through artificial compensation constraints.
• Hospitals claim 50th percentile MGMA total compensation while simultaneously paying dollar-per-RVU far below national standards, exploiting benchmark confusion.
• Different $/RVU rates applied to different cardiology subspecialties for identical work like ECG interpretation undermines standardization purpose of RVU system.
• EPs receive no RVU credit for supervising mid-level providers despite clinical and liability responsibilities for collaborative patient evaluation.

💼 ACTION ITEMS

• Negotiate compensation using dollar-per-RVU ratios rather than total compensation benchmarks to enable apples-to-apples comparison.
• Exclude non-hospital income sources (research grants, endowments, school stipends) from FMV total compensation calculations during contract review.
• Document mathematical inconsistencies between productivity expectations and compensation percentiles when challenging institutional models.
• Advocate for consistent $/RVU rates across cardiology subspecialties for shared clinical tasks and RVU credit for mid-level supervision.

More in Electrophysiology