Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
A Point-of-Service (POS) health plan is best described as:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
A POS plan blends HMO and PPO features: members select a primary care physician who acts as a gatekeeper for referrals, yet members may go outside the network at the point of service and receive care at a higher cost share. Care coordinated within the network is covered more generously, while out-of-network care involves higher deductibles or coinsurance. The California A&H objectives list POS among the group care-plan delivery models (HMO, POS, PPO, EPO).
Why the other options are wrong
- B) POS refers to a managed care delivery model with in-network and out-of-network tiers, not to employer on-site clinics.
- C) A POS plan has a network and a gatekeeper; pure fee-for-service plans have no managed network at all.
- D) The defining feature of POS is that it does allow out-of-network care at the point of service, unlike a pure HMO or EPO.
Memory hook
POS = pick a gatekeeper, but the door to out-of-network stays open; you just pay more to walk through it.