Netflix’s 'Beef' highlights a $5,000 deductible — how to handle your own healthcare costs

A still from Netflix's 'Beef.'Courtesy: NetflixIn the new season of the Netflix comedy-drama, "Beef," Ashley, played by Cailee Spaeny, lands in the hospital due to an ovarian cyst. The waiting area is bleak, with gray decor and patients who look like they've been stranded there for years. Ashley's partner, Austin, played by Charles Melton, returns from the reception desk with some bad news: "You have a super high deductible — $5,000," Austin says. "Oh wow. We can deduct $5,000?" Ashley says. "What if it costs less? Do they give us the difference?" "It's kind of the opposite," Austin replies. That's correct — your deductible is the amount you need to pay before your health insurance coverage kicks in. But the Emmy-winning series' second season, which launched April 16, highlights a common confusion. Just over 1 in 4 Gen Z adults could correctly identify the insurance term "deductible," according to a 2024 survey from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Read more CNBC personal finance coverageTreasury announces new Series I bond rate of 4.26% for the next six monthsSocial Security benefits can be reduced for retirees who work. How that may changeFed keeps interest rates unchanged in April: What that means