Matters in healthcare: Is my GP pulling a confidence trick, charging me twice?

The BHeC (Bermuda Health Council) and Bermuda Sun have teamed up to answer your questions about the island’s healthcare system.

Visit www.bhec.bm to submit your queries and look for our response in each Friday’s Bermuda Sun.

This week’s question focuses on follow-up appointments.

Q: Who should be accountable for this situation?

My GP (General Practitioner) has referred me to another doctor.

The doctor I’ve been referred to has requested that I have a CAT scan, for which his office staff have given me an appointment time and date.

At the same time I received a follow-up visit to go over the results of the scan.

The results are directed to the referred doctor’s office and my GP’s.

The GP’s office calls and says I need a follow-up to go over the results of the CAT scan.

I mentioned that I already had a follow-up appointment with the referred doctor. I’m told I must see the GP.

Now, I have two appointments for the same results, which I had to pay out of pocket for — for the GP visit and the other doctor visit.The insurance company also paid for both visits.

I think the GP has displayed a confidence trick, so now I just see the referred doctor for the test that is ordered.

Again, this is a reason why policies increase; only one visit was necessary, which is with the requested doctor for the test. Am I correct?

A: Technically, either position can be correct.

You are right to expect follow-up from the physician who ordered the tests.

However, your GP is also looking after your well-being and can’t be blamed for wanting to ensure you receive the appropriate follow-up for a given test result.

You are right to be concerned about overuse of healthcare — it is clearly an immediate cost to you, and it certainly drives up health costs for all of us.

This is where you can exercise your autonomy and say, ‘No thanks — one follow-up is enough’.

After all, the physician who ordered the test will forward any necessary information to your GP directly.

On the other hand, we are not often fortunate to have two physicians looking out for our best interest.

Depending on the outcome of the test, there could be a reason why both physicians wished to follow up with you. In fact, it can be more problematic if there is no follow-up at all.

So it is unlikely that there was any ill intent in your GP’s follow-up call.

It could have been an administrative process within their office (to follow up with all patients with X-test results); or it could be a case of close individual care.

If you have concerns about it however, you should certainly discuss it with your GP when you next see him or her.

A relationship of trust and confidence is essential between healthcare provider and patient, so being able to discuss these matters openly is a key part of that.

For more information go to www.bhec.bm