When to use insurance and when not to and pay out of pocket?

[Anonymous]

I went to a specialist appointment in another state planning to pay 100% out of pocket. It was worth it to me to see this guy who is tops in his field.

They still wanted my insurance info so i shrugged and gave it to them. Lo and behold I only had to pay $125. because they gave me the BCBS rate even though my policy expressly limits me to one particular medical group in one particular state.

[Anonymous]

There was one time when I needed to get an MRI quickly before going back to the doctor to discuss the results. If I used insurance I was going to have to wait as they went back and forth with the radiology provider, so I said f it I'll just pay for the MRI out of pocket. No surprise, the radiology provider was able to get me in that same day for the scan. When looking at the paperwork I discovered that they charged me for the MRI roughly 25% of what they would have billed the insurance company had I used insurance. If you pay cash for medical services you can often get a very good cash price. Your time and avoiding the hassle of dealing with insurance are worth something too.