Re: Getting into the loop?

From: Griffin (nospam_at_here.net)
Date: 07/13/04 

Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 22:52:14 GMT

On 2004-07-13 18:41:35 -0400, Brad Edwards <bradedwards@emailaccount.com> said:

> I have a few more questions if you don't mind.

I don't mind at all. That's the main reason I hang around here. ;-)

> When a physician is affiliated with a hospital, does it mean that if
> you need anything done that requires a hospital that you'll have to go
> there? So is it best to get a primary care doc affiliated with a local
> hospital?

Being affiliated with a particular hospital doesn't obligate a
physician to admit or refer patients there. However, if there's a
particular hospital you're fond of, make sure that any doctors that you
need to see have privileges there, otherwise you'll either have to go
to another hospital, or use another doctor if you want to go to your
chosen hospital. As far as primary care physicians go, you might want
to see if the doctor even does inpatient (hospital) medicine, as many
of us have gotten away from that in favor of admitting our patients to
a "hospitalist" group that only does hospital medicine.

> When physicians refer you to another one, do they get some kind of
> benefit for doing so? Or are they just referring you to someone they
> honestly think is good?

Kickbacks, fee-splitting, and other forms of quid pro quo are illegal
and punishable by imprisonment. So if anybody is doing it, they're
idiots. When I refer to someone, assuming I have free reign to pick my
consultant of choice, I always refer to the people whom I think are the
best. However, not every specialist participates in every insurance
plan, so sometimes I have to use the second string. ;-)

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