Health Insurance Copayment

A health insurance copayment, or copay, is a fixed amount that a policyholder is required to pay out-of-pocket for specific medical services at the time of receiving care. This fee is typically predetermined by the insurance policy and varies depending on the type of service received, such as doctor visits, specialist consultations, or prescription medications.

For example, a patient may have a copayment of $20 for each primary care visit and $50 for specialist visits. If the patient visits a primary care doctor, they will pay $20 at the time of the appointment, while a visit to a specialist would require a $50 payment.

In another case, if a person fills a prescription, their copayment might be $10 for generic medications and $25 for brand-name medications. This means that regardless of the total cost of the prescription, the patient only pays the set copayment amount.