1.PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)
• Suitable for young and healthy individuals who visit doctors infrequently. Also suitable for people who do not prefer the referral process.

• No referral necessary. You may visit any participating providers directly.

• Freedom in choosing from plenty of providers. Convenient to use.

• Member must pay copayment or coinsurance for part of the medical expense, e.g. 30% of hospital inpatient expense or lab fees.

2.HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)
• Suitable for individuals who have chronic disease, frequent doctor visit needs, and medication needs. Also suitable for people who plan to get pregnant and expect to conduct surgery.

• Applicant must designate a family doctor and the doctor’s related medical group. If family doctor and medical group are not indicated, then the HMO would select one for the applicant. Unless you are under treatment or pregnant, you may change your family doctor and/or the doctor’s related medical group anytime, which will generally become effective on the first of the following month.

• Family doctors include Internal Medicine Doctors, General Practice Doctors, Family Practice Doctors, and Pediatricians.

• One of the disadvantages of HMO is its referral process. If the family doctor refuses or postpones the referral, treatment may be delayed. However, you generally share a small amount of the medical expense, e.g. $0 copay for hospital inpatient expense.

3.POS (Point-of-Service)
POS is a combination of PPO and HMO, which gives you flexibility in meeting your medical needs. If your doctor or hospital is within your designated medical group, then you may use the HMO side of your plan. Hence, your share of the medical expense is small. On the other hand, if your doctor or hospital is not within your designated medical group, you may use the PPO side of your plan. Although your share of the medical expense will be relatively higher, insurance carrier is still paying part of the expense for you. Since POS includes the benefits of PPO and HMO, its monthly premium is generally higher than PPO and HMO plan alone.