Today in "The US Healthcare System Was Designed By Greedy Clowns": I found out I have an abcessed molar. The specialist I was directed to consult with to see if we can save it with a root canal or if it needs to be extracted is Out Of Network
They did not ask who, specifically, my insurance was with before they said that. Meaning they are not In Network with anybody
So it will be $300 upfront for the *consultation* to see how much it would cost to save my tooth, and my insurance might reimburse me some later. So there's a good chance I'd need to pay for the full root canal upfront too and hope for reimbursement at some point, $1500-$2000
Tempted just to go back to my regular dentist and have them yank the tooth. I'd be down a tooth but at least they're in network
Don't try and tell me this is the best we can do as a nation. It's not even fast: it took 5 months for the initial dentist appointment and will be another 2 for the specialist consultation