Co-insurance- What is it, and how does it work? 

Sometimes, insurance terms may seem like a whole different language. With words like copay, co-insurance, deductible, and more thrown at you, you may appear confused. So, let us break down co-insurance first. 

What is co-insurance? 

Co-insurance is the percentage of costs of covered healthcare services you must pay out-of-pocket after you have reached your annual deductible. It is a form of cost-sharing or splitting the price of a service/medication between the insurance company and the policyholder. 

Typically plans ask the policy member to share a fixed percentage up to a specific limit, after which the company covers 100% up to the chosen policy maximum for eligible expenses. For instance, the plan you buy says it will cover 80% of the first $5,000 bills, after which it will pay 100% up to the chosen policy maximum. It means that after your deductible has been paid by you, your insurance company will pay for 80% of the eligible expenses up to the first $5,000 in bills, and you pay the 20%. Once the bills reach $5,000, the insurance company covers 100% of the eligible expenses up to the chosen policy maximum.

Depending on the plan, co-insurance can be applied to doctor visits, urgent care, procedures, hospitalizations, medications, and more. Some plans waive co-insurance for benefits if a PPO network is used.  

Co-insurance does not begin until after you meet your annual deductible. It means you will pay your medical costs until your deductible is met, and then you will pay your part of the co-insurance which is only a percentage of the expenses. After that, the insurance company will cover the rest of the eligible expenses up to the policy maximum. 

How is co-insurance different than copay? 

Every time you see a doctor, you may pay a set amount which is called a copay. A copay is a flat fee that a doctor or specialist charges you for using their services. The amount can be determined by the insurance plan you choose. For example, you might have to pay a $30 copay when you visit a doctor or fill a prescription at the pharmacy. 

In contrast, co-insurance is a fixed percentage that you will pay toward the total cost of a medical bill once you have paid your deductible for the year. Your health insurance plan also pays a percentage, usually more than what you pay. 

A copay usually helps cover costs on a variety of office visits. However, medical services requiring copays vary between insurance plans. Services that typically require a copay include: 

• Primary care and specialist doctor visits 
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapies 
• Prescription drugs 
• Mental health services  
• Urgent care 
• Emergency room visits 

The co-insurance percentage varies on the health insurance policy you choose. After hitting your deductible, the most common co-insurances you will encounter are 80/20, 90/10, or 70/30. Suppose you have hit your deductible of $2,500. It means you have spent the amount covering medical expenses in a year, and now expenses will be subject to co-insurance. 

Now, co-insurance enters the picture, and you will pay a fixed percentage, and your plan covers the rest of the eligible expenses up till the policy maximum. But things can appear complicated. For example, an in-network co-insurance rate of 10% often jumps to 30% or 40% for an out-of-network doctor or prescription. Some plans may not even offer any out-of-network coverage. 

How to calculate co-insurance? 

With a copay, knowing how much you expect to pay for a service or treatment is easy. A co-insurance is a percentage of the service, it can be harder to predict your out-of-pocket costs. You should first find out the plan’s co-insurance rate for a service when deciding on the payment. The plan usually will have an overall out-of-pocket maximum that you should know when you select and apply for the plan. 

Some plans offer the same rate for all services, but other plans may have different co-insurance rates for many services. For example, you might be asked to pay 20% for a visit to your primary care physician, 30% for a specialist, 40% for an emergency room visit, and 15% for medication. Typically, visitor insurance plans have the same rate of co-insurance for all services but can have different percentages for in-network or out-of-network providers.  

Next, in calculating your co-insurance, is to decide if your co-insurance rates vary based on whether you visit a provider inside or outside a preferred network. Plans may allow you to see an out-of-network provider but may charge higher co-insurance rates. 

How to find the right plan? 

If you fall sick often, leading to higher medical costs each year, you may want to consider a plan with a higher monthly premium. It will have a lower deductible and co-insurance. If you rarely visit doctors or are not prone to sickness, you may want to consider a plan with a low monthly premium. It may have a high deductible and co-insurance. Deductible is something you may be able to choose when selecting a visitor insurance plan, however, co-insurance is set for the plan and cannot be changed. 

When choosing a plan, co-insurance and deductible are among the many factors you should think about. In addition, it would help to consider whether your doctors take part in a plan’s network and whether the specific medical services needed are covered. 

It can be confusing for you initially before selecting a plan. Thus, contacting us can save you from buying a plan that does not serve its purpose as per your requirements. We run round-the-clock and ensure to answer all your queries patiently.