Why Does Everyone Need A Referral? / myLot

Louisville, Kentucky

January 6, 2016 5:42am CST

I just posted that I have an appointment with my primary care doctor on the 13th but I forgot to mention that all the specialty doctors I need to see all need referrals before they will see me. I am trying to file for disability but before I do, I need to get all my hens in a row. There are a lot of doctors I need to see such as: Podiatrist for me feet, orthopedic for my hip, gastro doctor for my stomach, a new rheumatologist, a neurologist and a psychiatrist for the depression I get sometimes because of the pain I am in. That is a total of 6 referrals. I thought it would be better to just see my primary doctor and get these all taken care of at one time. Plus I need to get a physical anyway. I remember just a few years ago when you could just call and make an appointment and didn't need all of these referrals. With me being in a small town, there are not a lot of doctors so maybe this is their way of controlling who gets in and who doesn't. I know that my insurance doesn't require all of these referrals but what can you do?

28 people like this

22 responses

PaintsOnSlate

@PainsOnSlate (21845)

• Canada

6 Jan 16

Here in Canada you can see your GP whenever you want to specialists have to be found through your GP, Its part of our Socialized Medicine.

4 people like this

Sharon

@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

7 Jan 16

About 7 years ago, it wasn't that way here. You could make an appointment with a specialist yourself as long as he/she was on the list of providers for the insurance. That has changed now and although I can understand it, I don't like it.

3 people like this

brendamarie

@whiteream (8567)

• United States

8 Jan 16

@simone10 Yes, it was like that for us about ten years ago.

Anna

@LadyDuck (502427)

• Italy

6 Jan 16

This looks like a very complicated system, it does not help to feel less depressed.

4 people like this

Sharon

@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

7 Jan 16

It is very frustrating and does add to the anxiety or depression.

3 people like this

Morning Girl

@salonga (27775)

• Philippines

7 Jan 16

Why are they making things so hard for patients. What sense does it make for them to even require a referral. Their business is to treat patients and not to get referrals. Hmmm, i felt quite impatient with your system there.

2 people like this

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Morning Girl

@salonga (27775)

• Philippines

7 Jan 16

@simone10 I hope they realized soon that they are making it so hard for the patients and they amend their system to favor the patients more than anyone else.

2 people like this

Sharon

@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

8 Jan 16

@salonga It seems like there could be a better way to do it but I'm not sure what that would be.

1 person likes this

Sharon

@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

7 Jan 16

That's just the way our system works now. A few years ago it wasn't like that.

2 people like this

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Gudheart

@gudheart (12659)

•

7 Jan 16

It is annoying I can imagine. Sometimes the medical system is just messed up!

1 person likes this

Sharon

@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

8 Jan 16

Yes, it can seem that way although it probably makes sense to them. It just seems like to me, there could be a better way to handle things.

1 person likes this

DianneN

@DianneN (254926)

• United States

6 Jan 16

I don't know the true reasoning behind this, but one does what needs to be done, especially when it comes to taking care of ourselves.

2 people like this

Sharon

@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

7 Jan 16

Oh, I totally agree. I am going to do whatever it takes to get all these referrals from my PCP.

1 person likes this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (382063)

• Rockingham, Australia

6 Jan 16

This must be so depressing on top of everything else you are dealing with.

4 people like this

Sharon

@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

7 Jan 16

Yes, it can be depressing because I feel like I am doing everything I can and I keep hitting obstacle after obstacle.

1 person likes this

ElusiveButterfly

@ElusiveButterfly (45941)

• United States

7 Jan 16

My insurance does not require a referral to see a specialist. My doctor has them set up for me. I can and will call certain doctors as I deem necessary.

1 person likes this

Patsie Hatley is Deceased

@Hatley (163772)

• Garden Grove, California

6 Jan 16

then consider us who have to have hmos and hav e to have a damned referral for anything and almost everything as my hmo does require

1 person likes this

slund2041

@slund2041 (3314)

• United States

6 Jan 16

It sucks that you have to have all those referrals. I know what you are going through, because I am going through the same thing with my aunt. I am not trying to get her on disability as she is eighty. I am trying to get her to medical doctors that specializes in the issues she has. We moved her from her home (after her husband passed away) to move in with my parents. We are having to get her all new doctors, and setup in our area. She has a lot of severe health issues and specialist is required for her. However, even after getting the referrals for some doctors the wait time is a month or two out. It sucks!

1 person likes this

Carmela

@Carmelanirel2 (8085)

• United States

6 Jan 16

I think it is a control issue too and I know that if I am going to see this foot doctor, I will have to see my primary doctor first, even though I am not sick.

1 person likes this

Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61463)

• United States

6 Jan 16

It really depends on your insurance, I don't need referrals with mine but I know some require it. Must be a government policy to stop people from just going to specialists who are a lot more expensive. It is a form of managed care where your primary care manages your care.

1 person likes this

The Horse

@TheHorse (238306)

• Walnut Creek, California

7 Jan 16

t makes things difficult. I don't know the reasoning. Perhaps the GPs are supposed to make it more difficult for the specialists to be seen. Fewer visits = higher profits.

1 person likes this

Sharon

@simone10 (54180)

• Louisville, Kentucky

7 Jan 16

You may be right. I do know that it is making it more difficult.

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

6 Jan 16

I think I've entered into that age as well. I now have two doctors, my primary and my gastro.

1 person likes this

Suranga Abeysekara

@hiru84 (942)

• Malaysia

7 Jan 16

I'm so sorry about you. You might be very tied from it. We can meet specialist doctors without referrals in my country.

1 person likes this

bonnie

@bunnybon7 (50970)

• Holiday, Florida

7 Jan 16

the social security office set all those up for me and i just had to show up at each. maybe that has changed. so sorry. it seems the more disabled and ill you are the more crap they make you have to do.

Jaymie Suh

@cherriefic (10399)

• Philippines

7 Jan 16

It's actually a medical protocol since general practitioners will check what's wrong. If theres a need for further test or treatment, they need to refer you to a specialist.

Marlina

@marlina (154103)

• Canada

6 Jan 16

It is the same thing here where I live in Canada. The first visit with a specialist has to be referred from your own doctor.

1 person likes this

amnabas

@amnabas (14877)

• Karachi, Pakistan

6 Jan 16

That's just the way the doctors see it.

1 person likes this

julito

@antonbunot (11146)

• Calgary, Alberta

6 Jan 16

What I understand is our family doctors are required to refer us to a specialists to prove that we really need to see them.

brendamarie

@whiteream (8567)

• United States

8 Jan 16

It drivers me crazy because I have to make an appointment for my son's primary care doctor so often just to get a referral for all the therapies he has to have. My son is on the Autistic spectrum. He is very high functioning. Many of the therpies are slowing done now. but when he was younger I was going to a different doctor almost every day of the week.