Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health has dropped a policy that linked some physician bonuses to patient referrals to its fundraising office, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Jefferson Health said the decision to link referrals to bonus pay was a "modest incentive for departmental chairs" and was done to "advance the culture of philanthropy." The health system also said it was modeled after other medical organizations.
After some internal feedback, Jefferson Health said it will drop the incentive component in the policy.
The reversal comes after physicians at Jefferson Health said in February they were being asked to refer at least one patient per month to the fundraising office and that the referrals would affect the size of their annual bonus.