Lab test are particularly baffling to me. Except strangely, if buying lab tests without insurance (and without a doctor) using a company like https://www.directlabs.com you can get a panel of 100 tests for $150-300 (cholesterol panel, vitamins, thyroid, testosterone, etc - the whole works).

Yet when my doctor refers me to a lab for 1 or 2 specific tests, each individual test is billed at $150+ with a $60 copay paid to the lab.

With lab tests in particular, it’s sometimes cheaper to buy them without going through a doctor / without insurance.