Not necessarily. Any patient can call the office and make an appointment. Only a few insurance companies require a referral from the primary care physician. You may call your primary care physician or your OBGYN specialist and request to be referred to a Board Certified REI (infertility specialist). Recent studies have shown that smoking significantly diminishes both female and male fertility potential.

If you are in a MO HealthNet managed care health plan, you should check with your primary care provider (PCP) or your MO HealthNet managed care health plan. If you are MO HealthNet fee-for-service, you should check with the provider you want to see. The MO HealthNet fee-for-service programs do not require a referral but the provider may require one. Your provider should know if your procedure has special rules.

Pregnancy is a natural phenomenon. It can take healthy couples up to 1 year to conceive a child. The age of the wife is very important to determining the urgency of seeking specialist treatment. If the wife is between 20 ?29 years, she can wait a whole year, but if she is between 35 ? 39 years, it is better to consult a specialist after 6 months, because women have greater difficulty achieving conception with advancing years.

A fertility specialist, or Reproductive Endocrinologist, is a medical doctor who has been specially trained in the complex issues that can contribute to infertility. In addition to being trained as an ob/gyn, a Reproductive Endocrinologist must complete highly specialized training for all aspects of infertility. Below are the school and training requirements that an ob/gyn and Reproductive Endocrinologist must complete.

The EPO ("Exclusive Provider Organization") plan is set up to allow the PCP to direct the care of all members who sign up with them. If the PCP feels he/she cannot provide the care needed to the patient, approval of a Specialist visit is part of their responsibility in caring for the patient.

Depending upon your insurance company requirements, you may need to see you Primary Care Doctor (PCP) before you can make an appointment with a specialist for your child. We participate with over 200 different insurance companies. Each insurance company has different requirements on how to obtain specialist care. Some require a referral or a precertification form to be completed (a form that must go to your insurance company to have their approval before a specialist may see you).

Except for in-network gynecological and obstetrical visits for women and routine eye examinations, your PCP must refer you to a plan specialist for a specified number of visits within a specified length of time. If you have a referral and need other treatment by a specialty provider, your PCP must be contacted for a new authorization number. It is the member's responsibility to obtain a referral authorization when required prior to receiving services from a specialty provider.

If your insurance carrier requires that you have a referral to visit our office, it is your responsibility to obtain that referral. Please make sure that all referrals are received by this office before the time of your appointment. Referrals made by the Hand and Upper Extremity Center of Northeast Wisconsin, Ltd. for tests, evaluation, or services to be provided to the patient by other providers are the full financial responsibility of the patient.

A fertility specialist is usually an Obstetrician-Gynecologist with advanced education, research and professional skills in Reproductive Endocrinology. The reproductive endocrinologist has a 2 to 3 year fellowship in the area of infertility.

No. If you need to see a specialist, you're free to choose any qualified doctor, inside or outside the CIGNA HealthCare network. Although referrals are never required, the doctor providing your primary care can probably make some helpful suggestions as to which type of specialist you should see. Your out-of-pocket costs may be lower if you see an in-network specialist.

For referral requirements, consult your benefit plan booklet or call Customer Service at the number on your ID card. You may choose to check your benefits online. No. Primary care physician selection is specific to each member. Selection must be made from physicians authorized in your particular network. Contact your employer for a list of primary care physicians or go to Provider Directory. Yes. You may change your primary care physician, but your health plan may limit the frequency of changes.