It is the amount of loss that the insured or the policyholder pays before the policy benefits become payable. In brief, it is the amount that needs to be paid by the policyholder each year to cover his/her medical care expenses before the health insurance policy starts paying. Insurance plans may have both per individual and family deductibles.
Some plans may have separate deductibles for specific services. For example, a plan may have a hospitalization deductible per admission. Such insurance plans are common across USA. Deductibles may differ if services are received from an approved provider, or if received from providers that are not empanelled on the approved list. The bigger the deductible, the lower the premium charged for the same coverage.