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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/kandosii_ner_vod on 2026-03-20 05:23:25+00:00.

Obligatory the FU was a few weeks ago, but I just found out today.

I'm trying to be more proactive with my health, so last month I finally scheduled an annual physical (which, as preventative care, is free, but if you mention any issues, it becomes a diagnostic appointment, and they bill it as a regular visit. I go in planning to be very careful about this.)

The nurse asks why I'm there; I say just the annual physical. The doctor asks why I'm there; I say just the annual physical. She asks if anything's been bothering me, and, careful not to trigger the genie clause, I say cheerfully, "I'm saving all that for a regular office visit; I don't want to get hit with a bill!" I then add that I want to be sure to get bloodwork done, since they skipped it last time and I usually come up anemic.

When she asks if I'm looking for anything else specifically, I mention that I want to check electrolytes, since I've been dizzy ever since taking up running, and are those included in the default bloodwork panel? She confirms that they are. She then recommends testing magnesium and thyroid levels as well, suggesting those might be another culprit (oops! it's diagnostic now). And this is the real FU: I don't double-check if those tests are also part of the physical's available panels, thinking at this point I've made it clear that I don't want anything extra, and she would mention it if these tests didn't count, right? right??

I get the blood work. I go home. And today I get a bill for $430 after insurance: $25 for the diagnostic visit, and the rest for the extra bloodwork. fml

Tl;DR: Failed at the final hurdle to specify that I only wanted the annual physical tests in my annual physical appointment. Got hit with a big bill.

ETA this was not my regular doctor