PPO Pros & Cons

A Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) is a type of health plan that contracts with medical providers, such as hospitals and doctors, to create a network of participating providers. Regence BlueShield manages the PPO plan offered by Snohomish County. Here is a brief list of the pros and cons of opting for a PPO plan.

Advantages 

  • Do not have to select a Primary Care Physician
  • Can choose any doctor you choose but offers discounts to those within their preferred network
  • No referral required to see a specialist
  • More flexibility than other plan options
  • Greater control over your choices as long as you don’t mind paying for them

Disadvantages

  • Higher monthly premium
  • Higher out of pocket expenses
  • Must monitor in-network vs out-of network to control cost

Highlights

Your Regence Medical plan provides you with:

  • A comprehensive website to support a healthy lifestyle, help you find a physician, and information on Regence Wellness Programs
  • Tobacco Cessation Program that includes medications and counseling to help make you successful
  • A 24/7 Advice Line to help you make medical decisions about self-care, when to seek treatment and what kind of facility to visit (ex. emergency room vs urgent care)
  • BabyWise which is a program to help support you with tools and resources through pregnancy to increase your chances of having a healthy full-term baby
  • Treatment Cost Estimator to help you find an in-network provider and estimate the cost of your medical care before seeking treatment
  • Regence Advantages Program
    • Active&Fit Direct
    • CHP CAMaffintiy Program-provides a 20% discount on complementary and alternative medicine services through CHP Group’s network
    • EyeMed Vision Care-35% discount on a complete pair of glasses
    • QualSight-save 40-50% on LASIK
    • TruHearing-Save up to 60% on hearing aids
    • Beltone Hearing Care-receive a set of hearing aids for a price as low as 995
    • And many more