Point of Service (POS)

A POS plan is a hybrid of an HMO and PPO. Similar to an HMO, the insured’s primary care doctor can make referrals to other plan providers. If the insured goes outside the network without a referral, the POS plan will then pay a predetermined amount of the bill. The amount the insured ends up paying is higher than if he/she stayed within the network. POS plans cost a little more than HMOs, but provide the flexibility and benefit of access to medical professionals outside the network.