Surgery

Referrals

We suggest that all patients follow the guidelines below to obtain the correct referral.

A referral is a form or number from your child's primary care physician approving your child's visit to the Department of Surgery. Referrals can vary in the number of visits they cover, the length of time that visits can be used, and the services covered.
 

Referral Process

Step 1: Verfiy with your insurance company that you need a referral. If you have an HMO plan, most likely you will need to obtain a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) for the visit. If you have a PPO plan, chances are that you will not need to obtain a referral, provided that we are in your insurance company's network of providers. If you have an indemnity plan, you should not need a referral.

Step 2: Speak with your pediatrician, PCP, referring MD or nurse practitioner about the need for a referral and receive medical approval for the referral before you schedule the appointment.

Step 3: When you make an appointment for your child with one of our specialists, be sure to ask for the specialist's provider ID number for your specific insurance. Some insurances issue provider ID numbers and some do not. This will allow you to more easily confirm with your insurance company if that specialist is a member of your health insurance network; otherwise you may be subject to "out of network" costs.