What is a deductible?

A deductible is the amount you pay out-of-pocket for covered services before your insurance starts paying. For example, with a $2,000 deductible you pay the first $2,000 of medical bills each year.

Coinsurance is the percentage of costs you share with the insurer after meeting your deductible. A 20% coinsurance means you pay 20% of each covered bill until you hit your out-of-pocket maximum.

What is an out-of-pocket maximum?

The out-of-pocket maximum (OOP max) is the most you will pay in a plan year for covered services. After reaching it, the insurer pays 100% of covered costs for the rest of the year.

When does a high-deductible plan make sense?

A high-deductible plan saves money if your annual medical bills stay below the crossover point shown in the results. It also lets you contribute to a tax-advantaged Health Savings Account (HSA), which can offset higher out-of-pocket costs.

Does this calculator account for HSA contributions?

The core comparison does not include HSA tax savings, but you can subtract your expected annual HSA tax benefit from Plan A's total cost manually. A common estimate is (HSA contribution × your marginal tax rate).

How accurate are the results?

Results are estimates based on the deductible/coinsurance/OOP structure you enter. They do not account for copays, in-network vs out-of-network differences, or prescription drug tiers. Use them as a planning guide, not a guarantee.

Deductible vs Premium Calculator

Enter two insurance plans and see which costs less across different medical spending scenarios.

A Plan A

Monthly Premium ($)

Annual Deductible ($)

Coinsurance After Deductible (%)

Out-of-Pocket Maximum ($)

B Plan B

Monthly Premium ($)

Annual Deductible ($)

Coinsurance After Deductible (%)

Out-of-Pocket Maximum ($)

Your Expected Annual Medical Bills (optional, $)

Highlights your personal scenario in the results table.

Annual Premiums

Plan A:

Plan B:

Crossover Point

medical bills/yr

Worst-Case Total

Plan A:

Plan B:

Total Annual Cost by Medical Spending

Premium + your out-of-pocket share. Lower is better.

Medical Bills	Plan A Total	Plan B Total	Difference	Better Plan

Summary

Choosing between a low-premium/high-deductible plan and a high-premium/low-deductible plan is a common insurance decision. This calculator compares two plans across a range of annual medical spending scenarios — from zero claims to catastrophic — so you can see which plan costs less given your expected healthcare use. All math runs in your browser; no data leaves your device.

How it works

Enter the monthly premium, annual deductible, coinsurance rate, and out-of-pocket maximum for each plan.
Optionally enter your expected annual medical bills to see your personal scenario highlighted.
The calculator computes total annual cost (12 × premium + your share of medical bills) for each spending level.
A comparison chart shows which plan wins at each spending level, and where the crossover point is.
Use the results to decide whether the premium savings of a high-deductible plan outweigh its higher cost in a bad year.

Use cases

Comparing employer-sponsored plan options during open enrollment.
Deciding between an HDHP (HSA-eligible) and a traditional PPO plan.
Estimating whether a low-premium marketplace plan makes sense for healthy individuals.
Understanding at what spending level a higher-premium plan starts paying off.
Counseling a family member on which plan to pick based on expected medical use.
Verifying that a high-deductible plan plus HSA contributions beats a traditional plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-11 · Reviewed by Nham Vu