Health Plans Explained: Deductibles, Coinsurance and the Yearly Total — Free Online Webinar
A free 60-minute online session showing how health insurance cost-sharing works in practice — deductibles, coinsurance, copays and the out-of-pocket maximum — using the yearly cost calculator live on screen.
About this session
Health insurance is the type most people find hardest to compare — because the true cost depends not just on the premium, but on how much you actually use in a year. This session cuts through that complexity by building a complete yearly cost picture live, using a real plan's numbers.
We will use the yearly cost calculator on screen, walking through three different usage scenarios — a healthy year, a moderate-use year, and a high-cost year — to show how the same plan can cost very different amounts depending on your circumstances.
By the end, you will understand how the deductible, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximum interact, and how to use that knowledge to choose between competing health plans.
What you will learn
- What a deductible is and when it applies — including the difference between individual and family deductibles
- How coinsurance and copays work after the deductible is met
- What the out-of-pocket maximum protects you from — and what falls outside it
- How to calculate the realistic total annual cost of two competing plans
- How provider networks affect your costs — in-network vs out-of-network charges
Session agenda
Why health plan costs are more complex than the premium, and the framework we will use.
What it is, when it resets, and how family deductibles differ from individual ones.
Percentage sharing vs fixed-cost visits. Live examples with real plan numbers.
What it covers, what it doesn't, and how to find it in a plan's summary of benefits.
Using the yearly cost calculator to compare two plans across a healthy year, a moderate year, and a high-cost year.
Live questions from attendees.
Pre-reading resources
Webinar FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- No prior knowledge is needed. We start from the basics — what a health plan is and why cost-sharing exists — before moving to the numbers. If you want to prepare, our guide to deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums covers the core concepts in about eight minutes.
- It is a free interactive tool on this site that lets you enter a plan's deductible, coinsurance rate and out-of-pocket maximum alongside an expected claims scenario. It shows your total annual cost under different levels of use. You can access it on our tools page before the session.
- A plan with a low premium often carries a high deductible and high coinsurance percentage. In a year where you make significant claims, the out-of-pocket costs can far exceed the premium savings. This "true cost" comparison is the central focus of the session. Our guide on coinsurance and copays includes a worked example.
- A copay is a fixed amount you pay for a specific service (for example, £20 per GP visit). Coinsurance is a percentage share you pay once your deductible is met (for example, 20% of a hospital bill). Some plans use one, some use both. We will work through the difference with real examples during the session.