Find the California Health Insurance Plans Right for You
California health insurance plans are generally available in various formats but most health care packages will belong to one of three main categories. The main categories are Health Maintenance Organization or HMO plans, Preferred Provider Organization or PPO plans and Indemnity benefits plans, each with unique benefits and restrictions. Each of these coverage plans provides reasonable levels of health coverage for most of us, but the packages vary in requirements and restrictions, approved health providers and pricing.
In an HMO plan, only health care received from an authorized network-affiliated health care provider will be covered under the plan, and any required specialized care must be referred by a primary physician in order for the services to be covered. With PPO coverage, health care is covered at a higher rate when you use an in-network provider with negotiated in-network rates, but you may also choose to use out-of-network providers and receive a lower percentage reimbursement of your covered expenses. With an Indemnity type of insurance plan, you may use any health care service provider that you wish, and you should be covered for a set level reimbursement of your covered health expenses. Among these programs, HMO coverage plans will have the lowest pricing rates, while Indemnity coverage packages are quite comprehensive and come with the most expensive premiums.
When choosing among HMO, PPO or Indemnity programs, you should decide first whether your preferred doctors, specialists, labs and hospitals participate as part of the HMO or PPO network. Next, you should evaluate the level of flexibility you might prefer in selecting health specialists should you require one. Finally, you should consider the trade-off between having flexibility in choosing physicians, specialists, labs and hospitals versus the much more expensive premium rates associated with having greater flexibility.