Table 3.
Reasons for Voluntary Outpatient Out-of-Network Use
| All Reasons Noted* | unwt n (wt %) |
|---|---|
| Total | 566 (100) |
| Continuity with previously known physician | 205 (30.8) |
| Physician skill | 198 (30.1) |
| Recommendation of another doctor, family, or friends | 152 (26.1) |
| Illness that needed care right away | 50 (13.7) |
| Convenient location | 45 (9.6) |
| No in-network physician available in area | 32 (6.5) |
| Could schedule appointment sooner | 25 (4.3) |
| Second opinion | 14 (2.1) |
| Service or specialty not covered by insurance | 14 (2.0) |
| Other | 71 (15.8) |
| Refused | 1 (0.23) |
| Primary Reason† | unwt n (wt %) |
|---|---|
| Total | 566 (100) |
| Continuity with previously known physician | 175 (26.6) |
| Recommendation of another doctor, family, or friends | 111 (19.8) |
| Physician skill | 126 (18.7) |
| Illness that needed care right away | 31 (8.5) |
| No in-network physician available in area | 16 (4.1) |
| Convenient location | 16 (3.8) |
| Service or specialty not covered by insurance | 13 (1.8) |
| Could schedule appointment sooner | 8 (1.6) |
| Second opinion | 7 (0.8) |
| Other | 59 (14.1) |
| Refused | 1 (0.2) |
Note. n's may not sum due to missing data. Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.
*
Percents sum to greater than 100 because more than one reason could be noted.
†
Participants were asked to indicate one main reason why they used an out-of-network physician.