Copayment

What is a copayment?

A copayment is a fee that is immediately paid each time a health plan member goes to a doctor, fills a prescription, or engages in other healthcare services. Copayments are sometimes referred to as a copay.

The copayment is a defined fixed dollar amount and is an out-of-pocket cost to the health plan member. Depending on the insurance plan, copayments will vary for different services. Some services will not have a defined copayment. Health insurance plans will often charge higher co-pays for appointments with out-of-network doctors than for doctors that are in-network.

Depending on the insurance plan, the copayment can range from $0 to tens of dollars.