HMO-POS stands for Health Maintenance Organization with a Point of Service option. “Point of Service” means you can use out-of-network providers. HMO-POS plans have the trusted provider network that is associated with an HMO but also provide the flexibility to seek specialized care outside of the network.
We cover all out-of-network providers that accept Medicare and agree to submit a claim to us for the services. (The majority of providers do accept Medicare. Examples of providers that may not accept Medicare are chiropractors, vision, hearing, and acupuncture providers.)
Please note providers that do not contract with us are under no obligation to treat you, except in emergencies. It is important that you confirm -- before receiving services -- that the out-of-network provider accepts Medicare and will submit a claim to Dean Health Plan for your Prevea360 Medicare Advantage plan.
HMO-POS plans offer lower out-of-pocket costs to members when using our in-network providers and higher member out-of-pocket costs when using out-of-network providers.
In most cases, covered services you receive from an out-of-network provider will be subject to out-of-network cost-sharing. Here are three exceptions when covered services may be paid at the in-network level:
All Medicare Parts A and B benefits are covered out-of-network. Benefits that are not included in Medicare Parts A and B are only covered when you use in-network providers (See chapter 4 section 2.1 of your Evidence of Coverage for information about covered benefits and cost-sharing).
| Out-of-network benefits covered: | Out-of-network benefits NOT covered: |
|---|---|
PCP and specialist office visits | Preventive and comprehensive dental (Delta Dental) |
Labs and outpatient diagnostic procedures | Routine eye exams |
Preventive services | Routine hearing exams |
Outpatient hospital and ambulatory surgery services | Over-the-counter items |
Inpatient hospital and skilled nursing facility stays | Fitness benefit (One Pass) |
Mental health and substance abuse services | Transportation (Lyft) |
Rehabilitation and therapy services | Post-discharge meals (Mom’s Meals) |
Part B drugs | In-home support (Papa Pals) |
Dialysis and kidney education services | |
Durable medical equipment and prosthetics | |
Home health agency care | |
Podiatry | |
Chiropractic services |
We do not require a referral when you get care from out-of-network providers. However, the out-of-network provider may require you to obtain a referral from your primary care provider before they will provide services under your POS benefit.
Some services always require authorization regardless of whether you receive the service from an in-network or out-of-network provider (examples include elective inpatient admissions and outpatient surgery).
Before getting services from out-of-network providers you may want to ask for prior authorization to confirm that the services you will receive are covered and are medically necessary (see chapter 3 section 2.3 of your Evidence of Coverage for information about asking for prior authorization).
Without prior authorization, we may not cover the service if we later determine that the service required prior authorization and was not approved.