Skip to main content
Health Insurance

Health Insurance 101: Copay vs. Coinsurance

Lauren Smith, MASanjai Sinha, MD
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD
Updated on August 5, 2025
Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD | August 5, 2025

Your copay and coinsurance are both costs that you pay after you’ve met your deductible for your health insurance plan. A copay is a set fee, while a coinsurance is a set percentage of costs, that you pay for health services or supplies.

Your insurance plan should clearly state whether you pay a copay or coinsurance for a particular service. If you don’t see the service on your insurance brochure, call your insurance representative before a healthcare visit or service.

References

GoodRx Health has strict sourcing policies and relies on primary sources such as medical organizations, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and peer-reviewed scientific journals. Learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate, thorough, and unbiased by reading our editorial guidelines.

why trust our exports reliability shield

Why trust our experts?

Lauren Smith, MA
Written by:
Lauren Smith, MA
Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Sanjai Sinha, MD
Reviewed by:
Sanjai Sinha, MD
Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

Was this page helpful?

Latest articles