What does it mean if a doctor is "in network"?

A network is a group of doctors, specialists, or health care venues that have agreed to take insurance from a particular company.  If you have particular doctors or hospitals that you prefer to use for your health care, it is a good idea to make sure that they are "in network" for the insurance plan that you are planning on purchasing.  Because your insurance company already has an agreement with "in network" providers, you pay less money for health care services provided by health care professionals that are "in network" than you would pay to see a professional that is "out of network."