Okuzeka
Healthcare Management vocabulary · Health Insurance and Reimbursement

Copayment

Meaning in healthcare management, with examples

/ˈkoʊˌpeɪmənt/nounCommon term

In healthcare management, copayment means: A fixed amount that a patient pays towards the cost of a visit, prescription or treatment, while the insurer or public payer covers the rest.

In Turkish: katılım payı, katkı payı

How it is used

Americans usually say 'copay' in speech: 'a $30 copay for a specialist visit'. Policies set different copayments for GP visits, specialists, emergency care and medicines. When the patient pays a percentage instead of a fixed amount, Americans usually call it 'coinsurance'.

Example sentences

  1. Patients pay a small copayment for each prescription.

  2. The copayment is collected at registration before the appointment.

Common collocations

  • pay a copayment
  • copayment amount
  • fixed copayment
  • collect the copayment
  • deductibleThe amount a patient must pay for their own care in a policy year before their health insurance starts to pay.
  • out-of-pocketPaid directly by patients from their own money, rather than by an insurer or a public system.
  • premiumThe amount a person or employer pays, usually every month or year, to keep a health insurance policy active.
  • coverageThe range of treatments and costs that an insurance policy or public health system pays for, and the people who are protected by it.

More terms: Health Insurance and Reimbursement

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.