What am I paying Insurance for?

Here's a slap in the face...

I have had some health issues in the past month that are now resolved. Everything is fine, so no worries.

However, in order to get to that diagnosis of "everything is fine", I went to the doctor 2 times, and had 3 procedures, one of them at a diagnostic center at a hospital. I paid my co-pay, and the claims for the visits and the procedures were sent to my insurance which I have through the school district.

I rarely, if ever, am sick. I rarely, if ever, claim anything on my insurance. The total amount that my insurance "agrees" to pay on these office visits and my procedures, apparently, doesn't cover what the office and lab charged for these procedures. So I now owe a whopping $700.00 for these procedures in addition to what I've already paid, which is upwards of $250 in copays.

Ummmm... excuse me?! I thought insurance was for this exact thing... to help save you from over and above medical bills and all that crap. This is completely and totally absurd, and I think there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. And now, all of my summer money that I make from my 2nd job is going to have to pay these people instead of be used to pay other bills.

sigh.

It never ends.