co-payment

noun

co-pay·​ment ˈkō-ˌpā-mənt 

ˌkō-ˈpā-

variants or co-pay

ˈkō-ˈpā 

or copay or less commonly copayment

plural co-payments or co-pays or copays also copayments

: a relatively small fixed fee that a health insurer (such as an HMO) requires the patient to pay upon incurring a medical expense (as for a routine office visit, surgical procedure, or prescription drug) covered by the health insurer

… patient out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles and co-payments have grown alongside overall [health care] costs.

—kvtz.com

… you can put away tax-sheltered dollars that can be used to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as your doctor visit co-pays or other medical expenses not otherwise covered by your insurance.

—Philadelphia Inquirer

… employees currently have a 10% copay for prescriptions, whether they are purchased at the in-house pharmacy or a network pharmacy.

—Joyce Frieden

Examples of co-payment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Americans pay more for health care than any other country and over the past five years, spending on insurance premiums, out-of-pocket co-payments, pharmaceuticals and hospital services has increased, government data shows. —Stephanie Kelly and Julie Steenhuysen, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024

Annual out-of-pocket expense maximums (deductibles, co-payments and other amounts, but not premiums) cannot exceed $8,300 for single coverage in 2025 or $16,600 for family coverage. —David Rae, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Employees, too, can expect higher co-payments, deductibles and premiums deducted from their paychecks because employers shift about 20% of their total premium costs onto workers, though this can vary widely depending on employer. —Bruce Japsen, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

They were created to help insurers make smarter formulary decisions, negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers and set co-payment tiers that balance affordability with patient health. —Robert Pearl, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

co-payment

noun

co-pay·​ment (ˈ)kō-ˈpā-mənt 

: a relatively small fixed fee that a health insurer (as an HMO) requires the patient to pay upon incurring a medical expense (as for a routine office visit, surgical procedure, or prescription drug) covered by the health insurer