Definition of coinsurance
1
: joint assumption of risk (as by two underwriters) with another
2
: insurance (such as fire insurance) in which the insured is obligated to maintain coverage on a risk at a stipulated percentage of its total value or in the event of loss suffer a penalty in proportion to the deficiency
3
: health insurance in which the insured is required to pay a fixed percentage of the cost of medical expenses after the deductible has been paid and the insurer pays the remaining expenses
- Coinsurance is not a new idea—Americans who grew up in the era before managed care will remember their parents paying 20% of the costs of office visits, tests, and prescriptions.
- —Thomas H. Lee et al.
