High healthcare costs and the prospect of unexpected medical bills are leading worries for adults and their families. Lowering out-of-pocket costs is the public’s top healthcare priority, according to KFF, an independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
Once this “copayment” is made their private health insurance covers the rest. Sometimes, health plans waive copayments for cheap generic drugs and high-value preventive services, but they require larger copayments for costly brand-name medications or treatment from a specialist. When patients are hospitalized or require expensive tests or treatment, copayments can be in the hundreds of dollars. In some cases, patients must pay 20% of the bill, if not more, before their insurance kicks in.Dr.