(Based off a real life incident):
You are an ambulance driver. You are transporting a woman who’s suffered serious injury. The risk to her life is low if you can get her to an ER quickly. However, she is imploring the paramedics/EMTs to make sure she is taken to a hospital that is in her insurance network, which would cost her little or nothing. If she is taken to an out-of-network hospital, she could be on the hook for a massive medical bill.
The out-of-network emergency rooms are all nearby. The in-network emergency rooms are all further away. You do not know how much things like traffic or other variables may slow your arrival. Assume that you yourself will face no legal liability and the only considerations are patient $ vs. patient odds of survival.
- Take her to the nearby out-of-network emergency room (more cost for patient)
- Take her to the further-away in-network emergency room (less cost for patient)