Why Chose Out-of-Network

To start, let’s define what “In-Network” and “Out-of-Network” means.

When a medical provider is in-network with an insurance company, this means they are in a contractual negotiation with the insurance company regarding how much they will be paid  for rendering services to plan holders.

Out-of-network simply means the provider does not have a contract with this insurance company. Typically, out-of-network medical expenses have their own deductible that needs to be met before an insurance company will re-imburse the plan holder.  

 A selling point for being in-network is that the rates for services are “discounted”, meaning the insurance company does not have to shell out as much money for any service you receive, and you’ll typically get more assistance from your insurance company when choosing these providers.

Although this sounds enticing to most people, especially those that feel like they need to use their work benefits, choosing an out-of-network provider certainly has its own benefits.

For starters, when a healthcare provider is not in any contractual agreements with insurance companies, they are setting their own rates for their service. At Top Tier Physical Therapy, this rate is set to a number that allows our doctors to work with patients in a one-on-one setting vs. splitting your doctor’s time and attention between other patients simultaneously or working with less qualified personnel like techs or assistants for much of your treatment, the standard at most in-network outpatient physical therapy clinics.

When we work with patients for a full hour, we typically only need to see them at a frequency of once a week when first starting out, eventually decreasing follow up frequency as your status improves. In a world where 24 hours doesn’t seem like enough time in a day, a single hour-long appointment vs. 2–3-hour long visits per week is much more schedule friendly.

In addition to the time benefits of working with an out-of-network provider, you’re typically paying for services up front with your own money which creates the “Cash Effect”.

The Cash Effect is the phenomenon of having a vested interest in the outcome of your care. When you spend your own hard-earned dollars on something, you’re more inclined to see it through to the results you desire.

Much like paying for a personal trainer or higher end gym membership, you’re more likely to put in the work and dedicate your time to getting better so you don’t feel like you’ve wasted money. When a third party is paying for your care, like an insurance company, this vested interest drops off dramatically and it’s easy to let your recovery fall to the wayside.

Using an investment example, smaller investments are easier to take a loss and larger investments hurt a lot more when they don’t work out.

Simply put, putting up your own cash helps in achieving desired results.

Your health and well-being are arguably your greatest asset because you only get one life and one body, so it makes perfect sense to invest in recovery from pain and injury to get back to your normal, active and healthy self.

If you’re ready to reap the benefits of out-of-network physical therapy to live your best active and athletic life, click here to schedule a totally FREE phone consultation with our Doctor of Physical Therapy and get the process started!