A patient arrives for a scheduled surgery and hands you their insurance card. Upon checking their insurance benefits, you realize that their plan requires a $500 deductible, which has not yet been met this year. The estimated cost for the surgery is $2,500. According to the terms of the patient's insurance plan, how much will the patient be expected to pay upfront, assuming the deductible is applied to this surgery?
The patient will pay nothing upfront; insurance will cover the entire surgery cost.
The patient will pay the full $2,500 upfront.
The patient will pay the $500 deductible upfront.
The patient will pay a $250 copayment, as it is often half the deductible amount.