1
: from cash on hand : with one's own money rather than with money from another source (such as an insurance company)
With so many people willing to pay out of pocket most insurance companies do not pay for the procedure, because they regard it as "cosmetic" …—
Kenneth Chang
Kenneth Chang2
chiefly British
a
: in the position of having lost money
On Oct. 7, the government suddenly pulled the plug on Railtrack PLC, the privatized owner of Britain's railway infrastructure, leaving the company's 250,000 shareholders out of pocket.—Kerry Capell
Kerry Capell
b
: out of funds : without money
My wife and I are already consumers of Straus's organic yogurt, butter, cream and ice cream, although I admit when I am feeling out of pocket I opt for a slightly cheaper competitor.—Larry Gallagher
Larry GallagherExamples of out-of-pocket in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebPhyllis Arthur, STAT, 13 May 2024
One worker showed the Free Press his insurance card, which listed the deductible as $1,300 per year, per family with an out-of-pocket maximum of $18,200.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 11 May 2024
Biden also touted his administration's policies that have directly affected the Black community, including capping insulin out-of-pocket costs at $35.
—Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, ABC News, 9 May 2024
But there are still those who may face difficulties with out-of-pocket payments, including the uninsured and people on certain high-deductible insurance plans.
—Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 4 May 2024
The out-of-pocket cost of Ozempic is about $968 per package, while Wegovy costs about $1,349 per package.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
And for the first time, Medicare also capped overall out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs for members at $3,300 to $3,800 a year, dropping to $2,000 in 2025.
—TIME, 2 May 2024
More than half of the 20 million who’ve signed up for Obamacare in 2024 complain of high monthly costs and out-of-pocket spending.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Apr. 2024
Besides infant mortality, the report evaluated adult obesity, cancer rates and screenings, out-of-pocket medical spending, preventable hospitalizations, emergency room visits and the cost of health care.
—Eleanore Catolico, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024
Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 14 Mar. 2023
Biden will also propose benefit changes that includes limiting to $2 how much a Medicare recipient must pay out of pocket for certain generic drugs.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2023
When the coupon expires, she and other patients will be forced to pay out of pocket.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2023
For people in those situations, paying for health care out of pocket or applying to public programs are not viable options.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 2022
When starting a varsity team just depended on procuring a mat, Benson paid thousands out of pocket.
—Aj Traub, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Dec. 2022
Wegovy, for example, costs over $1,300 per month and is taken over the long term, so many patients can’t afford to pay for it out of pocket.
—Elaine Chen and Isabella Cueto, STAT, 29 Dec. 2022
Visitors would need to pay out of pocket, with the Financial Times reporting one couple paid $170 each for a dose.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2022
The costs are usually rolled into the mortgage, meaning borrowers won't have to pay them out of pocket — though this does reduce the loan amount available to them.
—Becca Stanek, The Week, 19 Dec. 2022
Adjective
Every American, regardless of their insurance status, should have equitable access to all recommended vaccines with no out-of-pocket costs.
—Phyllis Arthur, STAT, 13 May 2024
One worker showed the Free Press his insurance card, which listed the deductible as $1,300 per year, per family with an out-of-pocket maximum of $18,200.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 11 May 2024
Biden also touted his administration's policies that have directly affected the Black community, including capping insulin out-of-pocket costs at $35.
—Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, ABC News, 9 May 2024
But there are still those who may face difficulties with out-of-pocket payments, including the uninsured and people on certain high-deductible insurance plans.
—Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 4 May 2024
The out-of-pocket cost of Ozempic is about $968 per package, while Wegovy costs about $1,349 per package.
—Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
And for the first time, Medicare also capped overall out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs for members at $3,300 to $3,800 a year, dropping to $2,000 in 2025.
—TIME, 2 May 2024
More than half of the 20 million who’ve signed up for Obamacare in 2024 complain of high monthly costs and out-of-pocket spending.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 20 Apr. 2024
Besides infant mortality, the report evaluated adult obesity, cancer rates and screenings, out-of-pocket medical spending, preventable hospitalizations, emergency room visits and the cost of health care.
—Eleanore Catolico, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024
Adverb
Seniors on Medicare will pay no more than $35 per month out of pocket, thanks to a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that went into effect Jan. 1.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 14 Mar. 2023
Biden will also propose benefit changes that includes limiting to $2 how much a Medicare recipient must pay out of pocket for certain generic drugs.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2023
When the coupon expires, she and other patients will be forced to pay out of pocket.
—ABC News, 23 Feb. 2023
For people in those situations, paying for health care out of pocket or applying to public programs are not viable options.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 2022
When starting a varsity team just depended on procuring a mat, Benson paid thousands out of pocket.
—Aj Traub, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Dec. 2022
Wegovy, for example, costs over $1,300 per month and is taken over the long term, so many patients can’t afford to pay for it out of pocket.
—Elaine Chen and Isabella Cueto, STAT, 29 Dec. 2022
Visitors would need to pay out of pocket, with the Financial Times reporting one couple paid $170 each for a dose.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2022
The costs are usually rolled into the mortgage, meaning borrowers won't have to pay them out of pocket — though this does reduce the loan amount available to them.
—Becca Stanek, The Week, 19 Dec. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'out-of-pocket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near out-of-pocket
Cite this Entry
“Out-of-pocket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/out-of-pocket. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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