Capitation is only viable for primary care physicians which is not what the OP is about. You can't pay surgeons, radiologists, and most specialists a per patien

Capitation is only viable for primary care physicians which is not what the OP is about. You can't pay surgeons, radiologists, and most specialists a per patient fee because they don't have a consistent patient base. Also their patients vary wildly depending on their disease, this is not the case for PCP. Capitation also has it's own perverse incentives, you are motivated to work less, spend longer with each patient (beyond what is appropriate, such as shooting the breeze with patients) and take more breaks. It is almost as bad as giving physicians a flat salary, you don't promote efficiency, turnaround, and accessibility. Capitation is ideal for the individual patient provided they can get an appointment, but is bad for the system overall. Medicine is primarily concerned with the well being of the general population rather than an individual.