The out of network care at an in-network hospital, is the absolute worst. In a similar vein, my wife's insurance was supposed to cover "out-of-network" ER visits. So one night that we had to go the ER we went to an out-of-network hospital ER because there wasn't an in-network one close by. Turns out that the coverage of the out-of-network ER visit basically just covers the cost of the bed in the ER, every treatment that you get (IV, vitals check, medication) is considered out-of-network treatment. This resulted in an absolutely insane bill with charges like $250 for administering oxygen monitor (you know the things you can buy at Wallgreens for $30) or $300 for ibuprofen.
Network scope existing at all baffles me. Insurance companies become the ultimate deciders of which hospitals are worthy and which aren’t instead of government certification agencies. Seems like an open door to malevolence.
