What are copays?
A copay is a fixed amount of money that you pay for a healthcare appointment or service. You’ll pay a different amount for different types of appointments based on what kind of insurance you have, and depending on whether they’re specialist appointments (like an appointment with an endocrinologist) or primary care appointments (which includes your prenatal care visits). Copay costs usually count toward your deductible. Once you’ve met your deductible, you’ll either receive services at no additional cost, or pay a percentage of the appointment’s cost, called coinsurance.
What are deductibles?
Think of your deductible as a staircase you’re climbing. The top of the staircase is a certain amount of money, let’s say $1000. Each time you pay for a healthcare service or submit a copay, you add another step to the staircase. When you’ve paid $1000 and reached the top of the staircase, you pay for only a percentage of your in-network medical services, if any money at all for in-network services. So you can finally catch your breath and enjoy the view from the second storey.
Why is it important to hit your deductible?
Pregnancy has expected costs, like doctor’s appointments and ultrasounds, but it can also have unexpected costs, like additional testing or special prescriptions to keep you and your baby healthier. Some of the costs associated with almost all pregnancies can be expensive, which is why hitting your deductible is so important. If you hit your deductible, you’ll likely pay only a fraction for all of these medical services when in-network. The sooner you hit your deductible, the less money you might have to pay down the line.
How can you hit your deductible?
Your deductible amount depends on your health insurance plan and whether you’ve registered for health insurance as an individual or as a family. Copays count toward your deductible, as do many other services, like diagnostic testing and prescriptions. If you’re registered for health insurance as a family, your partner and other family member’s services can help you hit your deductible as well. There are also some pregnancy basics that you need anyway which can count towards your deductible and help you reach if faster, like prescription prenatal vitamins.
For many people, a prescription prenatal vitamin may be more affordable than an over-the-counter option. With a prescription from your provider, you can get Vitafol prescription prenatal vitamin for as little as $18 a month, which can go straight to your deductible. Tap below to get your co-pay card from Vitafol. It’s like a coupon you use for purchases through your insurance.
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