The Gastroenterology Practice Economics Benchmark 2026, released by Jiro Health, reveals that 20.7% of additional GI procedures are deeply discounted, a rate triple that of plastic surgery. Because over 28% of patient visits involve multiple procedures, these payer-side reductions significantly alter the bottom line for independent practices. Much of this stems from the CMS same-scope rule, which assumes reduced costs when multiple endoscopic procedures occur in one session; however, commercial insurers apply this logic with varying, often opaque, consistency.

Beyond procedure-specific cuts, the report highlights a persistent scale gap. Larger independent groups secure contract rates roughly 8% to 10% higher than smaller practices for identical services. This disparity results in an estimated annual shortfall of approximately $5,894 per physician. Greg Field, CEO of Jiro Health, noted that practices often lack the visibility to distinguish between legitimate rule applications and incorrect payment denials. By mapping these trends, the benchmark provides a baseline for clinicians to audit their contracts and evaluate whether their reimbursement levels align with local market standards.