For informational purposes, this is how using private insurance usually works:

Many plans pay 80 percent of the total doctor bill (physician charges) once you meet the deductible. That leaves 20 percent for you to pay, called the coinsurance.

Because costs for procedures vary among geographic areas, what your provider charges for a procedure may not be what your insurance company is willing to pay. The insurance company calls the amount they’re willing to pay the reasonable and customary charge. Also, not all services and procedures are covered. What the insurance company doesn’t pay is your responsibility.

So in addition to paying 20 percent of the total bill after the deductible is met, you’ll also be paying the differences between the reasonable and allowable charges. Here is an example: Your child has his tonsils taken out and the bill is $350. If you’ve met the deductible already, you should only have to pay 20 percent, or $70. But your insurance company says the maximum allowable charge for a tonsillectomy is $300, which means you really owe $110 (20 percent of $300 = $70, plus the extra $50 your doctor charged above what the insurance company will pay).

Some things that can help with deductibles and coinsurance are Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) or Flex Spending Accounts (FSA). While not a supplemental insurance, these accounts can be used along with your employer-sponsored health plan. An FSA or HSA is an account set up by an employer in which employees can automatically deposit a portion of their pre-tax paycheck into a tax-advantaged financial account that can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses not covered by insurance. These types of accounts can be beneficial to both employers and employees. Employers can tout an FSA or HSA as a great benefit in an effort to attract and keep employees, while both employer and employee can save money on payroll and social security taxes. In addition, if used correctly, an FSA or HSA can help to greatly offset an employee’s out-of-pocket medical expenses and help pay for the monthly health insurance premiums. Different types of FSAs can even be used to pay for an employee’s day-to-day expenses of caring for a dependent or to cover adoption expenses. The big downside to these accounts is that the money you don’t use in your health insurance year can’t be rolled over into next year’s FSA or HSA. So basically, if you don’t use it, you lose it.