A few months ago, I went into a medical procedure worried.

Thankfully, I wasn’t concerned about my health. I wasn’t stoked to be getting a colonoscopy at age 32, but it’s about as routine as it gets, and my symptoms were hardly life threatening. Rather, I was worried about what it might cost.

How did I step foot into a surgical center not knowing what the bill would be? It wasn’t for lack of trying. I asked the doctor if the procedure was covered, and he said yes. But my insurance company said I’d be on the hook for a percentage of the cost since I was under 45.

I called the clinic to ask what the full price was, and they told me to call my insurance company. My insurer told me to get in touch with the clinic’s billing department. Billing said they’d call me back. They didn’t. By the time the day of my colonoscopy arrived, I threw my hands up.

The doctor had told me I absolutely needed it. I would just have to eat the cost, whatever it was.