Cost Sharing (also known as Sharing, Cost, Cost-Sharing Insurance): Provisions of an insurance policy that require the insured to pay some portion of covered expenses. Several forms of sharing are in use, e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Cost sharing does not refer to or include amounts paid in premiums

NIH MeSH · D017047Health Care

Cost Sharing

Also known asSharing, Cost · Cost-Sharing Insurance · Cost Sharing Insurance · Insurance, Cost-Sharing

Definition

Provisions of an insurance policy that require the insured to pay some portion of covered expenses. Several forms of sharing are in use, e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Cost sharing does not refer to or include amounts paid in premiums for the coverage. (From Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed)

MeSH classification

  • N03.219.151.170
  • N03.219.521.576.090

Need clinical context, treatments, or patient-language explanation?

Ask GoDavaii AI about Cost Sharing

Related concepts

Capital Expenditures

Those funds disbursed for facilities and equipment, particularly those related to the delivery of health care.

Cost Allocation

The assignment, to each of several particular cost-centers, of an equitable proportion of the costs of activities that serve all of them. Co…

Cost-Benefit Analysis

A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measur…

Cost Control

The containment, regulation, or restraint of costs. Costs are said to be contained when the value of resources committed to an activity is n…

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected outcomes that are qualitative in nature. Cost effectiveness compares alternati…

Cost of Illness

The personal cost of disease which may be economic, social, or psychological. The cost of illness may be reflected in absenteeism, productiv…

Cost Savings

Reductions in all or any portion of the costs of providing goods or services. Savings may be incurred by the provider or the consumer.

Costs and Cost Analysis

Absolute, comparative, or differential costs pertaining to services, institutions, resources, etc., or the analysis and study of these costs…

Common questions about Cost Sharing

What does Cost Sharing mean in medicine?
Provisions of an insurance policy that require the insured to pay some portion of covered expenses. Several forms of sharing are in use, e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Cost sharing does not refer to or include amounts paid in premiums for the coverage. (From Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed) This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Cost Sharing known by any other names?
Yes. Cost Sharing is also referred to as Sharing, Cost, Cost-Sharing Insurance, Cost Sharing Insurance, Insurance, Cost-Sharing in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.
Where does Cost Sharing sit in the medical classification?
Cost Sharing falls under the broader medical category "Health Care" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: N03.219.151.170, N03.219.521.576.090). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Cost Sharing?
For a plain-language explanation of Cost Sharing - including symptoms, treatments and what it means for an Indian patient - ask GoDavaii's Health AI. It works in 22+ Indian languages, is free and needs no signup. Tap "Ask GoDavaii AI about Cost Sharing" above.

Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D017047) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗