What Does It Mean When Your Health Insurance Has A Deductible? 
A health insurance deductible is the portion you must pay before the health insurance carrier pays their part . If you have a plan with a $ 1000 major medical deductible , you must pay the first $ 1000 of eligible claims under the major medical portion before the carrier pays . In many cases the carrier pays 80 % of the claims above the deductible and you pay the remaining 20 % . 