Referring Physician FAQs
As an integrated medical and laboratory practice, Insight Medical Genetics offers genetic counseling, medical consultations, screenings, and lab services to patients and referring providers in the greater Chicago area. Read on for answers to some of the most common questions we receive from referring providers.
How do I help my patient obtain the care they need?
A Patient Referral Form has been provided for you to use in communicating with your patient. This form provides:
- The reason the patient is being referred
- The recommended testing for the patient
- The steps for obtaining an appointment with Insight
We suggest that you also provide your patient with one of our brochures to provide them with additional information on the counseling and testing process.
How does Insight help my patient resolve problems and questions with their bill or insurance?
Insight has a dedicated team that will assist patients with predetermination of insurance, claim filing and appeals on their behalf to secure payment. In the event that we are unable to collect from the patient’s insurance company, we have set the patient responsibility level to what we believe to be an affordable level. For more on how billing works, click here.
What information does Insight supply back to me?
After your patient’s initial visit, you will receive a copy of the consult note, which will review the issues discussed with the patient including the test options that the patient elected and declined.
What happens if my patient’s test results come back positive?
If results are positive for any test, you will receive a call directly from your patient’s genetic counselor to review the results and answer any questions you might have about how to follow-up with your patient.
When should I refer a preconception patient to Insight?
Preconception patients who are over the age of 18 should be referred at the time they are considering pregnancy.
Who should I refer for prenatal genetic counseling and testing?
Several leading medical organizations (ACOG and ACMG) recommend prenatal genetic counseling for all pregnant women as well as all couples planning a pregnancy regardless of age, family history, or ethnicity.
When should I refer a prenatal patient to Insight?
Prenatal patients should be referred as soon as they have a clinically recognized pregnancy and have an estimated due date. Patients are typically seen for first trimester testing including blood work and ultrasound around 12 weeks.
By 14 weeks, some prenatal testing options are no longer available, so referring patients early in their pregnancies will allow us to offer them the broadest range of testing options as well as best accommodate their scheduling preferences for an appointment.
Who should I refer for hereditary cancer risk assessment?
Several leading medical organizations, such as NCCN, ASCO and ACOG, recommend hereditary cancer risk assessment for patients with a personal or family history of cancer. Specifically, cancer risk assessment should be provided to individuals with one or more of the following:
- Have a personal history of cancer diagnosed at a young age
- Have a personal or family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer
- Have a personal or family history of colon, endometrial, and/or other GI
- Have a personal or family history of a rare cancer
- Have a family history of multiple diagnoses of the same type of cancer
- Have a personal or family history of multiple cancer diagnoses in the same
Some individuals may not fit into this criteria and still be appropriate candidates for genetic counseling and cancer risk assessment. If you have a specific patient you would like to discuss, one of our board-certified genetic counselors is always available to help you determine when and who to refer.
When should I refer a patient for hereditary cancer risk assessment?
If a patient mentions any of the above criteria or you find they are at an increased cancer risk after completing your own assessment, the best course of action, as described in a Committee Opinion from ACOG (Number 634, June 2015), would be to refer them to a genetics specialist, such as Insight, for counseling and further assessment.
If you have any questions at any time, feel reach to contact us, email us, or give us a call at (312) 981-4400. We're happy to help in any way that we can!