Traditional health insurance providers require you to contribute to your medical care expenses, even after you pay your monthly premium. Additional financial obligations you need to take responsibility for include copayments and your coinsurance obligations over the course of a full calendar year.

Each time you have an appointment with your primary care physician, your health insurance provider expects you to make a copayment to help cover the cost of the visit. Copayment amounts vary between health insurance providers, but typically range from $20 to $30 per appointment. Your doctor's office requires you to provide your expected copayment amount at the time of your appointment. Your health insurance provider may require you to pay a higher copayment amount if you receive a referral to a medical specialist, like a dermatologist or podiatrist. If you meet your individual or family annual deductible amount for the year, you still need to fulfill your copayment requirements whenever you or insured family members have a medical appointment.

Your health insurance provider may require you to pay a predetermined coinsurance percentage when you require surgery or diagnostic testing. This set amount benefits your health insurance provider by decreasing the amount of financial responsibility they incur. Your coinsurance percentage does not change during the calendar year, regardless of any medical procedures you need. Coinsurance amounts also vary between health insurance companies, but a common percentage split is 80-20. In this case, your health insurance provider would pay 80 percent of your medical costs, and you would take responsibility for the remaining 20 percent. You continue to pay this percentage until you meet your insurance provider's out-of-pocket expense threshold. Once you reach this amount, your health insurance provider begins to pay 100 percent of your medical costs.

Depending upon your policy, your health insurance provider may expect you to pay both your copayment amount and your coinsurance amount at a doctor's appointment. Your copayment amount should appear on your medical insurance coverage card, and your policy handbook will provide detail on your coinsurance percentage split. Your health insurance provider can't increase your copayment amount or coinsurance split in the middle of your coverage year. However, on the anniversary of the date your coverage began or the beginning of the fiscal year, your health insurance provider reserves the right to increase your deductible, copayment amount and coinsurance requirements.

When comparing health insurance providers, consider the additional cost of your copayments and coinsurance before making a decision. A provider that offers an inexpensive monthly premium may have higher financial requirements when it comes to the amount you need to pay out-of-pocket for your medical care.