 [ Symptoms ] i got 805 bill cigna ppo insurance paid nothing for epidural injection for l5 s1 disc herniation is it normal cost  hi there  i have a question if i get a high bill and what can i do about it thanks in advance so i have disc herniation in l5 s1 and was taking a epidural injection from a anesthetist at a surgical center the block does not reduce too much pain after two weeks but this is not the question i have here  today i got the bill of 805 anesthetist 200 and surgical center 600 this is after the discount with my cigna ppo insurance to be clear i listed the [ Disease ] when you are covered by a ppo and seek care outside of your insurer is network you face higher costs out of network providers do not hold a contract with your insurer so the sky is the limit in terms of what they can charge you say you received your insurer is discount    i would just confirm the network status of the providers you used and that the full discount has been applied also is it possible the you are left with higher out of pocket costs because you have not yet met your deductible check that as well then do some research on your own to see if you can negotiate a better price your insurer may have a cost calculator that will help you determine average costs for a particular service in your area if that is not available check fair health a medical cost look up site that can help you determine if the price the physician andor center charged is in line with what others in your area charge for the same service you will punch in your zip code and the procedure you received if you have the cpt or procedural code that is best and you will see common charges for the service you received in your area if the cost of your care is way off base contact the providers to let them know what you have found and try to negotiate for a better price also pay attention to how your insurer reimburses with a ppo many insurers have altered the level at which they reimburse for out of network care some now pay medicare based fees which results in a lower level of reimbursement for you i cover that on the health reform 101 blog you can read more about that here