Medical bills
I'm catching up on medical bills and Explanations of Benefits from my November baby and his subsequent dr visits and I notice that at his 2-week checkup, I was charged $80+ after insurance for "general surgery - outpatient". It took me a minute, but I finally realized what it was and am wondering if I should complain or if it's legitimate. His umbilical cord had fallen off, but it was still oozing blood a little and I just casually mentioned it to my dr at his 2-week visit to make sure it was okay (it was just rubbing on the inside of his clothes but was never enough to stain). She said it was fine but went and got a swab of some chemical to help cauterize it (which didn't help because it still oozed blood for another week or so).
I hate that you don't know what things are going to cost until after someone else makes a decision to do it and you see the bill. I know they have the education an expertise, but to treat something that wasn't a problem and I didn't ask to be treated, and then bill $80? I'm not new to this merry-go-round ($100 ER copay turned into $500 and all we got was two injections and <5minutes with the dr). I just didn't have any inkling that I would end up paying $80 because she was trying to help. I love that dr, but I feel like I'm getting nickel-and-dimed ... I've had to pay multiple copays for recommended well-child visits that I didn't have to pay with my first baby, and supplies from the lactation consultants that I told them I wasn't going to use, but they gave me anyway, that I then had to pay for (which I wasn't expecting either, because I didn't pay for them with my first child).
That's my foul mood because of a stupid $80 that I wasn't suspecting at all.
(Also, like I said, I love that dr, and I have friends in the medical field and I respect them and would love their opinions so that I can make sense of how these things happen, if they want to give any input).