Understanding Health Insurance Deductible?

I need help understanding the Health INsurance Deductible? What do I want? A higher one or a lower one? And what do they mean. I pay into the deductible when? Also I have a wife and 2 little girls under 5. So they go to the doctor alot. Please give me some advice.
--------------------
Your deductible is the amount you agree to be immediately payable by you to doctors/hospitals etc. A high deductible will (all other things being equal) cause your premium to be lower. A low deductible will generally cause your premium to be higher. Example with a 500 dollar deductible : The first 500 of any allowable charges you will have to pay on your own. AFTER you have paid out the 500, then the insurance company will begin to pay the co-insurance rate against subsequent bills. It's as if your "insurance doesn't "kick-in" until you reach the 500 deductible. Obviously if you have a 1000 or 2000 or 3000 deductible the insurance doesn't pay anything until you have completed your deductible. No, you don't "pay in" to your deductible... actually you pay it out to doctors etc. What do you want?... Depends on what you think you can afford. All other things being equal, with a wife and two preschoolers, I'd want as low a deductible as I could afford with the monthly premiums. Good question and Good Luck to you ... stay healthy!
Source