You have been served....

With a lovely court summons. In which I have to appear in two weeks... TWO WEEKS???

Advice PLEASE.....

Backstory:
I had a routine endoscopy over a year ago. I was never informed prior to surgery that the anesthesiologist was not covered under my insurance. They just told me that all was approved. 6 Months after the procedure I received a call from a collection agency for the bill from said anesthesiologist for the entire amount.

Long story short... after many phone calls of the WTF nature... They claim that I received a check from the insurance agency that was supposed to be forwarded to them. Mind you... I knew of that check... but filed it because I never knew what was for. They "supposedly" tried to contact me. (later to find out they had no correct contact information, including a completely wrong address) So Now I have contacted them... found out that the check belongs to them. Call my Dr. who performed the procedure, he claims to have an "agreement" with said anesthesiologist that he will just accept any payment from the insurance agency as payment in full. I'm told to just forward them the check.

Soooooo.... I send the original check that I had in my file. They cash it. Then decide, 6 months was too long to wait and they want the full payment.

So now they are suing me. Regardless of the fact that I was never disclosed the information prior to surgery that they did not accept my insurance, or that it was no fault of my own that they had incorrect information. My Dr. had all the correct information... it was them they got my information from, incorrectly.

I'm so freaking pissed off. Why do Dr.'s operate this way? I had no knowledge of who the people were involved in the procedure... nor did I have any information about the said payment they were supposed to receive. BUT... they did eventually receive and cash the original check... I have acquired a copy of that cashed check from the insurance company.

I don't know if I have a case... and I don't want to go into it if I don't and incur the court costs on top of what they already want.

WHAT DO I DO???????? Advice.....

***Edited to add that: It is only small claims court... I only owe them $848 to pay it in full. So I don't want to actually hire a lawyer that would cost more than I even owe them!  I just really want to find out if I could go in there myself and plead my case to the judge... and win! It's more a matter of principal than it is money.... I'm just mad that they can do this.