Here is the average compensation of doctors by category http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/compensation/2014/public/overview#2 If the ACA is causing physician suffering it is not obvious in this data. Just as an example general surgery is $295,000. And this is only the average.
If you look at the numbers, at first blush it would appear as if physicians who are in areas that can churn the most procedures get paid the most.
American physicians are compensated quite well compared to their international peers. It's not the only thing making American health care super expensive, but it is part of the problem. http://www.slate.com/articles/busin...dicare_is_cheaper_than_private_insurance.html http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/02/charts-day-doctor-pay-america-and-other-countries
You need to figure in the costs of doing business. Insurance, space, staff, etc. Malpractice premiums have plateaued according to some reports. http://medicaleconomics.modernmedic...icles/exclusive-survey-malpractice-?page=full
Compensation listed is after Deductable business expenses. The only thing that reduces the numbers shown is federal income taxes. Malpractice costs are a Deductable business expense so it has no influence on quoted incomes.
The main issue seems educational debt to become a doctor is not cheap, eight years of higher education plus specialty education and such. Let's say that's for a public university education at a good school say UW- Madison a good school is $300,000 total with interest its going to take a nice chunk of their income over say twenty years to pay back. Likely a mortgage payment plus business costs. If your a primary care doctor at $195,000 year the income then seems more middle class of a lifestyle but comfortably so. And they do have ,barring being incompetent, very high career security over other professions. I'm not even considering a top private university education like Harvard all the way.
