";s:4:"text";s:2470:" The POS is based on a managed care foundation—lower medical costs in exchange for more limited choice. But POS health insurance does differ from other managed care plans. A POS plan is a type of Medicare Advantage Plan that enables you to visit physicians and hospitals outside your network for certain covered services, though it normally leads to a higher co-payment or co-insurance cost. A point-of-service plan (POS) is a managed-care health insurance plan that provides different benefits for using in-network or out-of-network providers. Point of Service (POS) Plans A type of plan in which you pay less if you use doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers that belong to the plan’s network. These plans are known as point-of-service plans because each time you need health care (the time or “point” of service), you can decide to stay in-network and allow your primary care physician to manage your care, or you can decide to go outside of the network on your own without a referral from your primary care physician. But like a PPO, patients may go outside of the provider network for health care services. POS, or point-of-service, health insurance plans may not be as familiar as their cousins, health maintenance organizations, or HMOs. Plans may vary, but in general, POS plans are considered a combination of HMO and PPO plans. A point-of-service plan (POS) is a type of managed care plan that is a hybrid of HMO and PPO plans. A POS health plan stands for "point of service" and is a mix between an HMO and a PPO-style health insurance policy. POS plans also require you to get a referral from your primary care doctor in order to see a specialist.