cost sharing

Any out-of-pocket payment the patient makes for a portion of the costs of covered services. Deductibles, coinsurance, copayments and balance bills are types of cost sharing.

cost shifting

The practice by which a seller of a health service, such as a hospital, increases charges for some payers to offset losses due to uncompensated or indigent care or lower payments from other payers.

cost-sharing reductions

Households earning 100 percent 250 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for cost-sharing reductions to help pay for out-of-pocket costs associated with a silver plan purchased through a health insurance marketplace. This provision lowers cost-sharing for...