<prompt> Human: Long story, but heres the condensed version:1. Six months ago, during a routine checkup, a family doc thought my kid had craniosynostosis, and referred us to a neurosurgery specialist.2. Neurosurgeon took one look at kid and says theres no problem whatsoever; told us that craniosynostosis is common misdiagnosed by GPs because GPs typically see one or two cases every few years this took all of 15 minutes3. After six months of back-and-forth between the neurosurgery practice and my insurance company, neurosurgery informs me that my insurance company is refusing to pay, and Im on the hook for 1000.Theres plenty that doesnt feel right to me about this scenario, starting with the fact that the referral ended up being completely unnecessary to begin with. Am I out of luck, and should I just pay up?Also, if this post is more appropriate elsewhere, I greatly appreciate anyone who can point me in the right direction  <response>: You can negotiate the amount, but youre probably stuck with paying something. What you could have done - and I realize this isnt germane now - is to try to pre-clear the referral with your insurance. But theyre making the determination that the referral was unnecessary.Ask the neurologist about a discount or a payment plan since youre paying 100 out of pocket. 