The Best Medical Care Often Costs More Money

Because my medical condition is unique I often have to pay providers outside of my network for medical care. Many of the providers do not accept insurance, which by the way, is one of the reasons I continue to visit them. This means patients, like myself, must pay for services out of pocket and then personally mail medical claims to the insurance company. My insurance usually pays between 60 – 75% of the overall cost for out of network providers. On a big medical bill that can be a lot of money out of pocket, but there are a few perks of visiting out-of-network doctors that often make the extra pay worth the price.

1. I don’t spend wasted time waiting to be seen. The physical therapists I see charge and receive more per patient so they can afford to see fewer patients. Fewer patients means less time waiting to be seen.
2. The therapists attend to me for a longer period of time. When I visit in-network therapists I always felt rushed to get in and rushed to get out. When I pay out of pocket the doctor schedules me for a full hour of time and I am able to use every single minute of that hour.
3. I receive individual attention. At in-network facilities I was often 1 of 5 or 10 patients being treated at the same time. The therapist would give me my exercises and then turn their back while they assisted another patient. When I pay out of pocket I am always given individual attention.

Of course not everyone can afford to pay out of pocket for medical expenses, but if you can, and you don’t feel your receiving adequate care with in-network doctors definitely consider searching for a doctor on your own. Although I have by no means been cured, I have unfortunately found that to receive the best care I often have to spend a lot more money.