If you choose to see an "out-of-network" doctor according to your health plan, you should expect -

Question

• to pay more for their services than an in-network doctor
to have lower quality medical care than from an in-network doctor
to travel farther to see them than an in-network doctor
longer wait times to see them

Answer 1

If you choose to see an "out-of-network" doctor according to your health plan, you should expect:

• to pay more for their services than an in-network doctor.

Typically, out-of-network services come with higher out-of-pocket costs, as health plans generally cover a smaller portion of the expenses incurred when seeing an out-of-network provider. The other options, such as quality of care, travel distance, or wait times, can vary greatly and are not inherently linked to whether a doctor is in-network or out-of-network.