<prompt> Human: Maybe this isnt the best place to ask? Maybe someone can guide me to a better subreddit for this question? :So my insurance doesnt really kick in until I reach my 6000 deductible. OK, fine. But dang! Having insurance doubled what I owe to the hospital!Long story is, my doctor said I had to get some bloodwork. The receptionist told me to check out the lab in the hospital 1 minute walk from the doctors front door. Im dumb. I went. Mistake 1. I asked if they take my insurance, they said Heck yeah we do. 5 minutes of bloodwork later and Im driving home. If I had not listened to the receptionists advice and just driven to the lab down the street...I get a bill in the mail 3 months later. The total bill is 1600. Since I dont have insurance what? they want 290. This is where I make mistake 2. I call the hospitals billing company and tell them Hey I have insurance, what the heck? Why am I being billed 290 for 5 minutes of bloodwork? They say Oh dear, looks like we took your insurance number down wrong. Well put the payment on hold while we contact your insurance company. In hindsight I should have paid the 290!1 month passes. I get an updated bill in the mail. The total bill is 1600. Since I have insurance, they want 550. From me. My insurance, bless their hearts, got my bill down from 1600 to 550. What?I called the billing company and asked if I could just pay the 290 from the original bill. Sorry! 550 please or we send it to collections!I called my insurance company and asked if they cared, at all, about any of this. They dont care.Does anyone have any ideas? Am I screwed? Just pay the 550? Is there some magical word I have to say to the insurance person to get them to fight for the 290 rate?Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.  <response>: A - get the insurance negotiated rate B- Haggle. seriously, offer them 190 NOW!C- Wait for new bill. if higher than 290, repeat B___a while ago I had some blood work that wasnt fully covered. 3K.insurance negotiated price which they told me without me asking 1.5Kinsurance partial payment 700 though i doubt any money changed hands as this was not coveredmy bill 800. i by pure chance asked about some thing in the bill i didnt understand not meaning to haggle, just to clarifyand immediately the bill was adjusted by -600then she asked me on the phone if id like to pay that now. I said yes, but later I figured maybe she was giving me an opening to haggle the remaining 200 