I believe we are trying to move away from the "insurance" model but, as you stated, if the guy next door is taking it then it makes is harder. In a saturated place like LA there is always someone willing to take "insurances" no matter how low they are going to adjust the fees. That's why the contracted fees are so low where I am.

It's not all doom and gloom. The office I am in is trying to drop most plans and do more fee for service. There are a lot of offices in LA that do that as well. People are getting tired of the insurance driven clinics. It's all good in the end just stuff you did not think about when applying