Referring Doctor Thank-You Letter and Patient Update Template

By Blake Hickey, founder of Double Jaw Marketing. For practice owners, doctors and referral coordinators. Updated October 17, 2026.

If other providers send you patients, they want to know what happened next: a thank-you after the first visit, and a short update when the plan is set.

Here's a letter and an update note you can send this week, a checklist for keeping each referral relationship in good shape, and the two rules that matter most: what you can share, and what you can't give.

The letter and the update

Send the thank-you after the first visit, and the update once there's a plan. Keep both short. The referring doctor wants to know you saw the patient, what you found, what happens next and whether you need anything from them.

What you can share under HIPAA

HIPAA lets a covered entity disclose protected health information for the treatment activities of a health care provider (45 CFR 164.506(c)(2)). Updating the doctor who referred the patient is treatment coordination. The minimum necessary standard doesn't apply to disclosures to a provider for treatment (45 CFR 164.502(b)(2)(i)), but a focused update is still easier to read than the whole chart.

Send it the way your office sends other clinical records: your EHR's referral tool, secure email or fax, under your office policy. Keep clinical details off personal phones and out of regular text messages.

No gifts tied to referrals

Florida's kickback law, Fla. Stat. 456.054, makes it unlawful for a health care provider "to offer, pay, solicit, or receive a kickback, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, for referring or soliciting patients." The statute defines a kickback as a payment or remuneration given as an incentive or inducement to refer patients, when the payment isn't tax deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense.

When federal health programs such as Medicare or Medicaid are involved, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(b)) also applies. HHS's Office of Inspector General explains that remuneration under that law "includes anything of value," and that safe harbors protect an arrangement only if it fits squarely in one and meets all of its requirements.

The safe practice is simple: a thank-you letter and good communication, and nothing of value tied to referrals. Ask your attorney before any gift, meal or event for a referring office.

The referral checklist

• A letter within a set number of days of the first visit
• An update after the consult and at each treatment milestone
• Each office's preferred contact and secure channel on file
• A current referral form and instructions on your website
• The referral source recorded for every new patient
• Questions from referring offices answered quickly, by a named person
• Nothing of value offered or accepted for referrals

[Your logo here]
**[Practice name]** | [Phone] | [Website]

# Thank-you letter and update for referring doctors

For the doctor and coordinator. For dentists, pediatricians, orthodontists, SLPs and ENTs who refer to you.

## The thank-you letter

[Date]. Dr. [Referring doctor], [Referring practice], [Address]

Dear Dr. [Name],

Thank you for referring [patient name] to [Practice name]. We saw [him / her / them] on [date] for [reason for referral]. A short update is below. [Or: attached.]

We'll send another update after [next step]. If you have questions, you can reach me directly at [Phone] or [secure email].

Thank you for including us in your patient's care. Sincerely, [Doctor name, credentials]

## Patient update note

| Update for Dr. [Name] |  |
|---|---|
| Patient | [Name], DOB [date], seen [date] for [reason for referral] |
| What we found | [Short clinical summary] |
| Plan | [Treatment plan and timing] |
| Next visit | [Date or step] |
| What we need from you | [Records, clearance, coordination]. Questions: [Phone] |

> Nothing of value tied to referrals: no gift cards, cash, meals, tickets or bonuses. Ask your attorney before any gift or event.

## The rules, briefly

- Florida bars offering, paying, soliciting or receiving a kickback for referring patients (Fla. Stat. 456.054).
- With Medicare, Medicaid or other federal programs, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute also applies (42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(b)).
- HIPAA permits sharing PHI with another provider for treatment (45 CFR 164.506(c)(2)), and minimum necessary doesn't apply to it (164.502(b)(2)(i)). Still, send what the care needs.

## Referral relationship checklist

- [ ] Letter sent within [number] days of the first visit
- [ ] Update after the consult and at each milestone
- [ ] Each office's preferred contact and secure channel on file
- [ ] Referral form and instructions current on your website
- [ ] Referral source recorded for every new patient
- [ ] Questions from referring offices answered within [time]
- [ ] Nothing of value offered or accepted for referrals

## Referring offices

| Office | Doctor | Contact person | Preferred channel | Last letter sent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |

---
Sources: Fla. Stat. 456.054; 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7b(b); 45 CFR 164.502(b), 164.506(c). I'm not a lawyer or a doctor. This is what I've learned helping practices, shared to help you. It's general information for Florida practices as of October 2026, not legal or medical advice. Rules differ by state and change, so have your attorney review it before you use it. Template from Double Jaw Marketing, doublejawmarketing.com/resources.

Common questions

Can we send a gift to a dentist who refers patients to us?

Not as a thank-you for referrals. Florida's 456.054 bars kickbacks for referring patients, in cash or in kind, and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute applies when federal health programs are involved. Ask your attorney before any gift or event.

Can we share a patient's treatment plan with the referring dentist?

HIPAA permits disclosures to another provider for treatment, and the minimum necessary standard doesn't apply to those disclosures. Send what the referring provider needs, through a secure channel.

When should we send the referral thank-you letter?

After the first visit, with a short update once there's a plan, and again at major treatment milestones.

Claims and sources

Checked October 17, 2026. Rules and platform settings change, so check the source before you rely on it.

1. Florida kickback definition and prohibition: Fla. Stat. 456.054 (2026 Florida Statutes)
2. Federal Anti-Kickback Statute, remuneration includes anything of value, safe harbors: HHS OIG: Fraud and abuse laws
3. HIPAA disclosures for another provider's treatment, 45 CFR 164.506(c)(2): eCFR 45 CFR 164.506
4. Minimum necessary exception for treatment disclosures, 45 CFR 164.502(b)(2)(i): eCFR 45 CFR 164.502
5. Minimum necessary, HHS guidance: HHS: Minimum Necessary Requirement