Doctor

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Spending the Beach Weekend Savings Fund on a Split Lip
Remember how nice Mrs. Hanson used to tell you and the other fourth-graders that there was "no such thing as a stupid question"? Well, wouldn't Mrs. Hanson be disappointed if she knew how few questions you asked at the doctor's office because you were frazzled, intimidated or afraid of sounding stupid. Like when your regular provider sends you to a specialist—their preferred surgeon to stitch up your toddler's split lip or this great ENT guy for your bizarrely clogged ear—and you are a little confused but wanting to get the whole thing over with, so you take the hieroglyphic paper in your sweaty palm and head to the next location in your healthcare treasure hunt only to later realize (cue dread-lump in stomach) that you forgot to check whether this individual was in your healthcare network. Many specialists like anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists and, I've learned from recent, irritating experience, pediatric dentists, don't accept any health insurance at all, creating an unpleasant paper trail of reimbursements for you to follow up on. And you thought you had a headache before! Hey-Oh! (But seriously, check this Wall Street Journal guide for more ways to avoid surprise medical bills.)