Surely the surgeon will be able to refer you to a colleague who is in-network? This seems like something the docs must deal with multiple times a week.
I wouldn’t go out of network if I had a choice (i.e. not an emergency). I got hit with a 37K bill (hospital, physicians, testing) for a one night emergency stay a few years ago. It took forever for the ER attending, the surgeon, and the anesthesiologist to attest (to the insurance company’s satisfaction) that it was- in fact- an emergency and therefore no time to find in-network providers or get a second opinion, or to determine if an MRI was really necessary.
The surgeon’s office assured me that there was no way the claim would be denied under the circumstances-- but it took months and the phone calls and letters were more stressful than the surgery had been.
So if this is NOT an emergency- ask the surgeon for the best in-network referral…