The Different Types Of Health Insurance Plans by Chris Denorch

When you’re shopping for your own health coverage, you don’t have to settle for whatever your employer thinks is best. You get the advantage of choosing the right plan for you.

And you have plenty of options.

Types Of Health Policies

There are several kinds of policies for you to choose from. Here are a few of the most popular.

• Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plans are a popular choice for people who value flexibility. A form of managed care, PPOs give you the most savings when you get care from a doctor, hospital or other provider within the plan’s “network”. But even if you do choose to receive care from outside the network, your PPO still provides some coverage.

• Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Plans are also a type of managed care, and offer you even greater savings. The tradeoff is your choices are more restricted. To get coverage from your HMO policy, you must choose a “Primary Care Physician,” and you must always get care from approved “in-network” providers. For most people, this is a small drawback compared to the affordability of HMOs — which often feature no deductible.

• Point Of Service (POS) Plans combine managed care with traditional health coverage. Just like an HMO, you select a Primary Care Physician to see for routine care. But when you need to see a specialist — or get a second opinion — you're free to see any doctor you choose.

• Fee For Service (FFS) Plans aren’t as popular as they once were. These plans are modeled after traditional “indemnity” insurance. In an FFS plan you pay for your care up front, and are reimbursed by your insurance company after you file a claim.

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