BM> You have evidence that this is 'insurance company' policy?
BM> KA> After observing it a couple of times, I asked my doctor. Aetna, among
BM> KA> other insurance carriers, discourages GPs from doing referrals and
BM> KA> actually offers kickbacks for NOT doing referrals,
BM> Aetna offers kickbacks?  Sounds illegal to me. It also sounds like a
BM> fairy tale.  I rather doubt that your doctor told you that "Aetna,
BM> among other insurance carriers" offers kickbacks.  Any MD caught
BM> taking a kickback for not making referrals if/when indicated would
BM> more than likely lose his/her license and his/her malpractice
BM> insurance company would have to defend a suit.
Our local HMO also discourages their doctors to refer to specialists.
And, finding one that really does know the difference between a simple
bladder infection and a case of chronic bleeding bladder is a search I
made for several years.  I was over 60 when I finally located one that
knew what was really wrong with me.
A very bright female urologist at the University of Washington in
Seattle.
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