It is important to understand the benefits of your health plan to take full advantage of offered services. The two major types of health plans are “fee-for-service” and “managed care.” Managed care plans can go by many names including Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Individual Practice Association (IPA), Point of Service (POS) plan, to name a few. What you need to understand is not the plan’s label, but the characteristics of the plan. It is important to understand your options and how they affect your choice of providers and services, costs, and quality of care. Each plan has different benefits for suite various medical needs. For example, if you have an HMO plan a primary care doctor will help you decide what other care you need and how to get it. In contrast, PPO plans give you the freedom to see a specialists and other providers without having to get referrals and pre-approval first. VitalOne health insurance agents will help you understand how to best use your health plan.

Using Your Health Plan

