I don’t know why, but my gut reaction based on this sentence is that you should give him a try. Maybe it’s just my own thing, though, because from the beginning therapy has scared the hell out of me (avoidant here!) but I’ve decided to (mostly) show up anyway. You sound kind of interested and it can’t hurt to just meet him and have him for an option down the road when he’s in-network. Also, I think the fact that he’s been responsive is a good sign. Who knows what you’ll think when you actually meet him, but it can’t hurt to try. Curious what you end up doing.