Deductible
Definition current for the 2026 plan year · Last reviewed July 2026
In one sentence: What you pay out of pocket before the plan starts sharing costs — averaging $3,786 on marketplace plans in 2026, up 37%.
Your deductible is what you pay for covered care before the insurer starts paying its share. Marketplace deductibles jumped 37% in 2026 to an average of $3,786 — the steepest one-year rise on record — mostly because smaller subsidies pushed millions from silver plans into high-deductible bronze ones.
Reading a plan correctly requires three nuances. Preventive care bypasses the deductible everywhere: checkups, screenings, immunizations, and contraception are free on every ACA plan from day one. Many plans carve out services that skip the deductible — flat copays for doctor visits or generic drugs even before you've met it; two plans with identical deductibles can behave very differently. The deductible is not your worst case — that's the out-of-pocket maximum.
If your income is under 250% of FPL, cost-sharing reductions can cut a silver deductible from thousands to hundreds — the biggest deductible lever that exists.