<prompt> Human: Update: Hospital finally got back to me and said they have a contract with the doctors office for a separate, much lower amount than the already negotiated amount with the insurance company. If I paid the hospital directly instead of using the payment systemlink my insurance provides, I pay the hospitals rate.Additionally I talked to my kids pediatrician directly who could confirm what he did order and why, and wasnt dismissive and telling me it wasnt his problem like his staff did.TLDR: Call and pay direct whenever possible. Like most street vendors in other countries say, for you, special price.My kid had a respiratory infection and had some trouble breathing well for a few days so we took him to his pediatricians urgent care.They told us how much we needed to pay out of pocket up front for treatment and said they wanted to order a test to see if my kid had anything else. Fast forward later and I get a claim notice from my health insurance saying I need to pay Desoto Memorial Hospital 1500 for the test the pediatrician ordered.I went to dispute the claim with the pediatrician and they apologized but said they had no idea it what it would cost and that 20 different tests seemed a bit unreasonable so theyre basically incompetent. They promised to follow up with the hospital about the cost, buy said they cant really do anything for me.Before I call the hospital that did the tests, is there anything else I can do or should be made aware of? My insurance company said to talk to the providers, and I did sign a paper saying I approved the test, but had the pediatricians staff told me how much it could cost, and that it was separate from their treatment costs, I would not have approved it, as they had already diagnosed my kid.  <response>: One thing to remember is that your contract is between you and the insurance company, not you and the doctor. Most physicians accept several different plans that have different cost structures, and generally have no idea what your out of pocket costs are. They only know what your copays are, because thats in their contact with your insurance company. They cant charge you more than they agreed to balance billing, nor can they simply not charge your insurance at all and let you pay cash if its cheaper. Their contact with the insurance company explicit prohibits your physician from changing your coverage costs.You cannot dispute the charges based on I didnt know it was this expensive. Your insurance company is required to send you a handbook every year letting you know whats covered and what your costs are for services. It is your responsibility to know that information. What you can do is try to negotiate with the billing department for a payment schedule or reduced cost. You can get a patient advocate to help you with that, if needed. 