A Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan differs from an MA HMO because under a PFFS plan the enrollee may generally:

Why A is correct

A Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan is a Medicare Advantage product that does not rely on a provider network or a primary care gatekeeper. Instead, the enrollee can visit any Medicare-approved provider who is willing to accept the plan's payment terms and conditions for each service rendered. This open-access, network-free structure is what distinguishes a PFFS plan from an MA HMO, which requires network providers and typically a PCP referral. Option A correctly states the defining access feature of a PFFS plan.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) A narrow network with a primary care gatekeeper describes an HMO, not a PFFS plan, which has no network or gatekeeper requirement. Networks and gatekeepers are HMO features that PFFS plans deliberately lack.
• C) PFFS plans do not employ providers directly; enrollees use independent Medicare-approved providers who accept the plan's payment terms. PFFS enrollees use independent Medicare-approved providers, not plan employees.
• D) No Medicare plan requires a referral from a government agency; PFFS care is obtained directly from willing providers. No government referral is required for any Medicare plan, including PFFS.

Memory hook

PFFS = pay-as-you-go without the fence: any Medicare doctor who accepts the plan's terms.