This fee is called a co-payment, and is usually a minimal amount of money. Sometimes, the patient is required to pay a set amount of money toward health care before the insurance begins to pay the bill. This set amount is called a deductible. Sometimes, an insurance company won't cover particular services at all. These are called exclusions.
Common exclusions are birth control pills, cosmetic surgery and other quality of life services.
Some policies set a dollar limit for a particular service as well. If you obtain a service that is not covered by your health plan, you will have to pay for it yourself. There are many types of health insurance policies, and deductibles, exclusions and co-payments vary considerably with each type of policy and between insurance companies. These policies can be difficult to understand, as they are often quite complicated and confusing. Therefore, it is extremely important to read your policy carefully and completely.