What Is a Copayment?

A copayment, often called a copay, is a fixed amount you pay for a covered health care service.

For example, a plan might require a $30 copay for a particular doctor visit.

You might therefore pay:

Doctor visit → $30 copay

The actual amount can vary depending on the type of service and the insurance plan. Some plans may have different copays for primary care, specialists, urgent care, prescriptions, and other services.

Not every plan uses copayments in the same way, so check your plan documents to understand when they apply.