Network Health Plans PPO's HMO's

There are several options available to you when it comes to selection of health insurance plans. Specifically there are the Indemnity plans which offer the most flexibility in choosing which physicians they prefer to use. Then there are managed health organizations such as PPO's or Preferred Providers Organizations and HMO's Health Maintenance Organizations these types of plans usually require for you to use physicians from their pool of select providers. The POS or Point of Service Plan is also a form of managed healthcare but it differs in that it requires all insured to first visit the chosen primary care physician to obtain a referral for any additional medical treatment. In recent years there has been an expanded interest in a new form of health Insurance called an HSA's or Health Saving Accounts that allows for consumers to self managed health care cost. The idea is to provide low premium health insurance by utilizing a tax advantaged saving account that earns interest and combining it with a higher deductible insurance health plan that offers much lower premiums but requires the insured to cover some of the initial cost

Managed Health Plans or Network Plans

Health Maintenance Organizations prearrange for reduced health care expense through a network of physicians who have agreed to work within the organization at discounted fees. The HMO usually requires you to select a primary care physician from within the network. The idea is to use the network to both reduce healthcare cost and better manage what treatments are sought out by the patient. The benefit carries on to the consumer with lower premium cost.A preferred provider organization (PPO) is another form of managed care, yet more closely similar to the indemnity type plans in that you have the option to select your own physician either from the network or outside of the network with the difference being that the cost of service is usually lower inside the network. Like the HMO a PPO negotiates price discounts for service with the physicians and care facilities, who become members of the PPO which passes on the savings to consumers in the form of premiums. Many consumers like the idea of having

the ability to choose a specialist from the PPO network without having to see the primary care physician first for the referral. A Point of Service or POS is also a managed plan but differs in that you are required to allow your primary care physician to act as an initial starting point for all medical service. The primary care physician is chosen by the insured from within the network and referrals and usually that specialist from within the network.