Deductible

How it is used

Mostly American. Patients 'meet' or 'reach' their deductible, and plans with a high deductible have lower premiums. British policies use 'excess' for a similar idea. Hospitals need to know the deductible to estimate what the patient will owe.

Example sentences

1. She hasn't met her deductible yet, so she will pay for the scan herself.

2. Plans with a high deductible are popular with young, healthy employees.

Common collocations

• annual deductible
• meet the deductible
• high-deductible plan
• deductible amount

Related terms

• copaymentA fixed amount that a patient pays towards the cost of a visit, prescription or treatment, while the insurer or public payer covers the rest.
• premiumThe amount a person or employer pays, usually every month or year, to keep a health insurance policy active.
• out-of-pocketPaid directly by patients from their own money, rather than by an insurer or a public system.
• health insuranceA system or contract in which regular payments to a public fund or a company cover all or part of a person's medical costs.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• deductible · Insurance

More terms: Health Insurance and Reimbursement

• reimbursement
• payer
• coverage
• prior authorization
• fee-for-service
• capitation
• DRG