A medical deductible is the amount an individual must pay for covered healthcare services before their insurance plan starts to pay. For example, if a health plan has a $2,000 deductible, the individual pays the first $2,000 of covered services themselves. After the deductible is met, the individual usually pays only a copayment or coinsurance for covered services, and the insurance company pays the rest. Deductibles can be high or low, depending on the plan, and that may affect how an individual pays for healthcare costs. Plans with lower monthly premiums generally have higher deductibles, while plans with higher monthly premiums usually have lower deductibles. Some plans have separate deductibles for certain services, like prescription drugs, and family plans often have both an individual deductible, which applies to each person, and a family deductible, which applies to all family members.