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[Name removed]

[elleng]

1. this:

The amount you owe for health care services your health insurance or plan covers before your health insurance or plan begins to pay. For example, if your deductible is $1,000, your plan won’t pay anything until you’ve met your $1,000 deductible for covered health care services subject to the deductible. The deductible may not apply to all services.

[arcane1]

2. It's the amount you have to pay, and insurance pays anything above that.

I've never heard of a health insurance plan that didn't have a deductible.

[Wounded Bear]

3. It's essentially your out of pocket expenses before the Ins starts to pay...

$3000 is a bit high for most, so look for a bit of sticker shock. Sounds like you got a low end bronze plans. If you look at the higher rated plans, you'll get higher monthly premiums and lower deductibles, typically.

If you have a good job and are fairly healthy, maybe it's not a problem.

[Warpy]

4. It means the insurance won't kick in unless you get really, really sick

and that you're responsible for the first $3000 in costs. You'll get one physical exam a year before the deductible kicks in to make sure you're not getting really, really sick.

It's not great, those deductibles were set by a bunch of rich men and they're too high for people who work for the shit wages they're paying now. It just means if you get horribly sick, you won't be in debt for the rest of your life if you want to live through it.

[YarnAddict]

5. You don't have to be really, really sick

to rack up $3000 in medical bills.

[Warpy]

7. Depends on how you define it

When I was getting the full range of care, I was paying $500/month in drug costs, alone. I was walking, talking and working as an RN but I was still really, really sick with RA. I'd have met the deductible in six months on just my medications.

[YarnAddict]

14. What about diagnostic tests?

Don't know offhand, but I imagine that x-rays, echocardiograms, CT scans, MRI's, etc. can add up real quick. Any sort of even minor surgery could cost $3000 or more.

[Warpy]

12. I was uninsured for 26 years and it was no damned fun

and I was periodically pushed into poverty when I'd get sicker and unable to work. Even when money was coming in, I knew I had to save for the next time. It was a shitty way to live.

Still, you know what you need in the way of bills to be paid and a cushion of savings for your next time out of work. Just be aware that the insurance isn't worthless. Disaster can strike at any time, especially with all the jackasses texting while driving.

[OKNancy]

13. You said you got one

What does deductible mean?

Hi. I applied for health insurance in the NY health exchange website and got one for $40 a month (premium) plus $3000 deductible a year. I've never had anything with a "deductible" before, so I don't know how that works. The things that do not require deductible are "preventive care", that's it. Everything else requires deductible. This is all after I get my subsidy.

So you didn't really get one.

[Swede Atlanta]

8. With the implementation of the ACA you have to be a little careful.....

Under the ACA, all compliant policies must provide certain preventive services at no cost to the insured.

So while it is generally true that a deductible is what you must pay before the insurer starts paying, that is only for services that are subject to the deductible.

So under the ACA you should be able to see a doctor once a year for a check-up, receive standard approved tests and vaccinations and other diagnostic and preventive services to be covered either 100% or not subject to your deductible.

If they are free obviously you pay nothing, not even a co-pay. If they are not subject to the deductible then the insurer will pay say 80% and you will pay 20% plus any required co-payment.

[marlakay]

11. Check the coverages for everything

We have same deductible but only for big stuff. $20 copayment to go to doctor, meds are mostly cheap 5-20$.

$20 co pay for counselor, covers 80% of most tests. The $3000 is mostly for hospital stuff.

So I would read your plan.

And like you said I am fully cover for preventative stuff.