What is a deductible?

A deductible is a specific amount that a patient is required to pay out of pocket for healthcare services before their health insurance kicks in and starts covering costs. This means that if a patient has a deductible of $1,000, they must pay that amount in healthcare expenses themselves before the insurance company begins to share the costs of additional medical care. Understanding the concept of a deductible is crucial for patients as it directly impacts out-of-pocket expenses and the overall cost of their healthcare plan.

The other options don't accurately capture the definition of a deductible; one refers to a percentage of costs covered by insurance, which relates more to coinsurance, another describes a fee related to billing, and the last option discusses payments after treatment instead of the upfront requirement of paying for healthcare services. Each of these alternatives pertains to different aspects of health insurance but does not define what a deductible is in the context of healthcare coverage.