Referrals to Physicians

The New York Times published an article on patient referrals. Some key takeways from the article about referrals are the following:

• Studies suggested that physicians receive up to 45% of new patients by referrals
  
• Referral rates are so high because of the following reasons:
• Increased specialization
• Lack of time for the doctor to review complex cases
• Fear of lawsuits for not consulting an expert
  
• Specialists are paid better than primary care physicians but depend on other doctors for referrals
  
• One individual had a suggestion to implement bundled payments similar to what hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis centers do.

To view the full article, please click the following link: Referral System Turns Patients Into Commodities

For additional billing and coding resources, please click the following link: Medical Reimbursement Billing and Coding Resources