Doctor Visit Copay History: Average Primary Care Copay
The average in-network primary care copay in employer plans was $27 per visit as of Oct 2026, according to KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey. That is unchanged from a year earlier. Since January 2018 ($25), it is up 8.0%. In our data, which starts Jan 2015, the highest price was $27 (first reached Jan 2022) and the lowest was $24 (Jan 2015).
Doctor Visit Copay History since Jan 2015
Doctor visit copay, primary care (avg, employer plans). Monthly values, step series. Weight in the Real Inflation index: 1.2%.
Doctor visit copay: every recorded change
| Effective | Price | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2015 | $24 | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey | |
| Jan 2016 | $24 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2017 | $25 | +4.2% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2018 | $25 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2019 | $25 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2020 | $26 | +4.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2021 | $25 | -3.8% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2022 | $27 | +8.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2023 | $26 | -3.7% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2024 | $26 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2025 | $27 | +3.8% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2026 | $27 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
Price in January of each year
| Year | January price | vs year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $24 | |
| 2016 | $24 | 0.0% |
| 2017 | $25 | +4.2% |
| 2018 | $25 | 0.0% |
| 2019 | $25 | 0.0% |
| 2020 | $26 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $25 | -3.8% |
| 2022 | $27 | +8.0% |
| 2023 | $26 | -3.7% |
| 2024 | $26 | 0.0% |
| 2025 | $27 | +3.8% |
| 2026 | $27 | 0.0% |
Source
Notes and caveats
- KFF EHBS average in-network primary care office visit copayment among covered workers with a copay. Whole-dollar rounding by KFF.
- Step series: each price applies from its change date until the next change. Monthly values hold the price in effect that month.
- KFF publishes its survey each October. Values are dated Jan 1 of the survey year, so the year-over-year change shows 0.0% until the next survey is added.
FAQ
How much is a doctor visit copay now?
The average in-network primary care copay in employer plans was $27 per visit as of Oct 2026 (0.0% vs a year earlier). Source: KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey.
How much was a doctor visit copay in 2018?
In January 2018 the average in-network primary care copay in employer plans was $25 per visit. Since then it has changed +8.0%.
When was a doctor visit copay most expensive?
In our data (starting Jan 2015), the highest price was $27 (first reached Jan 2022). The lowest was $24 (Jan 2015).
When did the price of a doctor visit copay last change?
The most recent change in our data took effect Jan 2026: from $27 to $27 (0.0%). We have 11 recorded changes since Jan 2015.
How often is this page updated?
We re-check this item on every weekly refresh and record each official change with its effective date.