Health Insurance Plan Types comparisons
HMO, PPO, EPO, POS and high-deductible plans all pay for medical care, but they differ in network rules, referrals, premiums and deductibles. We compare the five plan types used across the US employer and marketplace system so you can match a plan to how you actually use healthcare. This is general information, not insurance advice; check your specific plan documents.
Popular health plan comparisons
Health insurance plan types in our database, ranked by VersusAnything Score
- HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)88/100An HMO keeps costs low by requiring you to use an in-network primary care doctor who coordinates all care and refers you to specialists.
- HDHP (High-Deductible Health Plan with HSA)88/100A high-deductible health plan pairs low premiums with a large deductible and unlocks a Health Savings Account, which offers triple tax advantages for medical spending.
- EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization)50/100An EPO sits between HMO and PPO: no referrals are needed, but care is covered only inside the plan's network except in emergencies.
- POS (Point of Service)25/100A POS plan combines an HMO's primary care gatekeeper with a PPO's partial out-of-network cover, so you get referrals but can still go outside the network at a higher cost.
- PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)0/100A PPO lets you see any doctor, in or out of network, without referrals, in exchange for the highest premiums of the common plan types.
Compare any two health insurance plan types
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How we score health insurance plan types
Every health plan is scored on the same rows: network flexibility, referral needed for specialists, out-of-network coverage, premium level (1 = lowest), typical deductible, HSA eligible, best for, main drawback. Measurable rows are normalised across the category and weighted (Overall 100%); rows without a sensible direction are explained, not scored. Full rules on our how we score page.