Infectious disease is a largely cognitive specialty. Its value comes from complex diagnostic reasoning, antimicrobial stewardship, and the management of the sickest and most complicated patients — work that saves lives and money but generates few billable procedures.
That mismatch has consequences. Reimbursement models built around procedures tend to undervalue the time-intensive cognitive work at the heart of ID, which in turn affects compensation and workforce.
Professional societies, including IDSA, advocate for payment reform, loan repayment programs, and other measures that recognize the field's contribution.
Advocacy is not separate from clinical care; it is part of protecting patients' access to it. A sustainable ID workforce depends on aligning how we pay for care with the value that care actually delivers.