What is a deductible on a health insurance plan?
A deductible is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your ACA plan starts to pay — for example, with a $2,000 deductible you pay the first $2,000 of covered care yourself, then cost-sharing begins, per HealthCare.gov (2026).
More on this topic: health insurance marketplace
What the government has said, on the record
Here's how a federal official described it, on the record:
“The amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. With a $2,000 deductible, for example, you pay the first $2,000 of covered services yourself.”
— Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (HealthCare.gov), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services), HealthCare.gov Glossary, Deductible (source)
Editor's note: Official HealthCare.gov (CMS) definition. The $2,000 is an illustrative example; confirm current rules at HealthCare.gov.
Who said this
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (HealthCare.gov) · Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
Also asked as
- What is a health insurance deductible?
Sources
Last verified: 2026-07-19