The investor relations site (Site) with which this document is associated is maintained by S&P Global Market Intelligence (S&P) on behalf of the organization featured on the Site (S&P's Client).
PPOâs allow you to see any doctor or facility in their network without obtaining a referral. 1  Additionally, out-of-network benefits allow you to see providers not in the network, but at a higher cost to you. This is important if you frequently travel outside of the provider area.
The HMO will not pay for non-emergency care provided by a non-HMO physician. Additionally, there may be a strict definition of what constitutes an emergency. Like an HMO, a preferred provider organization (PPO) is a managed healthcare system. However, there are several important differences between HMOs and PPOs. A PPO is actually a group of doctors and/or hospitals that provides medical service only to a specific group or association.