Your Referral Journey:
What Patients Should Know
A Note About Today's
Healthcare Landscape
Finding a specialist who accepts your insurance, is taking new patients, has appropriate expertise, and can see you soon often requires significant effort. Our team may contact multiple offices on your behalf. While this takes time, it ensures you receive the right care in the right setting.
We're Here to Support You
Thank you for your patience and partnership as we coordinate your care. If you have questions after the expected timeframe has passed, please call the clinic and select Option #4
Download Our Referral Flyer
Why Referrals Take Time
Your health matters. When your provider refers you to a specialist, we work to make the process as smooth as possible. This guide helps you understand what to expect.
Today’s healthcare environment is complex. Many specialists have limited availability, long waitlists, or aren’t accepting new patients. Insurance companies often require prior authorization, which can take days to weeks. Our team may need to contact multiple offices to find one that accepts your insurance and can see you in a reasonable timeframe.
Expected Timelines
These are estimates based on typical processing steps:
- Internal referrals (within Praxis Health): 3–7 business days
- External referrals: 7–14 business days
- With insurance authorization: 10–21 business days or longer
We’ll contact you if we need additional information.
Who to Call and When
Call the Specialist’s Office if:
- You’ve been told they accepted your referral
- You were instructed to schedule directly
- You need to reschedule or cancel an appointment
- You have questions about their location or processes
Call Our Office or Referral Team if:
- The standard timeline has passed with no update
- Your insurance or contact information has changed
- You received a follow-up message from our team
- Your symptoms have changed or worsened
- You have already called the specialist office
How You Can Help
What to Do
- Keep your insurance information current
Ensure we have your current phone number and email - Respond promptly to messages from our office
- Allow the standard timeframe to pass before calling for updates
- Let us know about specific scheduling needs or symptom changes
What to Avoid
- Calling repeatedly within the standard timeframe. Each call pulls staff away from processing referrals, which can slow the overall process
- Calling both offices multiple times. Call the appropriate office for your stage (see above)
- Assuming denial if you haven’t heard back. Most delays are due to insurance or specialist availability
- Scheduling before confirming insurance. This can lead to cancellations or unexpected costs