re: What in the hell is wrong with medical billing?

Many have coinsurance so the final bill isn't known until services are rendered, insurance is booked, and it spits out what is and is not covered. Insurance will also say if deductible is satisfied or not. This is why people with coinsurance don't make payments before services (except for some stuff like surgery that a deposit is collected).

This is laid out in insurance"explanation of benefits" explaining each code charged. You'll either getting it in the mail or it's on the insurance website. Everything is billed by codes so it'll tell you what codes are covered and how much insurance paid and how much you owe. You can google the codes to get an idea what was charged.

I'm not saying it's all easy, just that the info is usually there if you know where to look. No one should be in a position that they're being charged for something that can't be explained. If that's happening then, yeah, I'd fight back on that too.