Background on Types of Plans and How They Work

There are several different health insurance plans available to State of Iowa employees. The following is a list of the plans and a brief description of the characteristics of each type of plan.  More information about specific features of each plan can be found in the 'Enrollment Guidebook'.

Plan type	Plan name	Plan description*
Traditional Fee for Service (FFS)	Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield 3+	Use any doctor or hospital  Usually have higher coinsurance rates
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)	Select 2000 (now renamed Iowa Select)	Similar to fee for service except plan has a network of providers to choose from  Less expensive to see network providers but can choose one from outside the network at a greater cost  Lower copayments for services provided within the network.
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or Organized Delivery System (ODS)	Principal Primary  Principal Open Access Secure Care (ODS)  John Deere Health Plan  Unity Choice (now renamed Blue Advantage)	Generally requires use of doctor or hospital in a network of providers  Usually more expensive to choose a physician outside the network than in a PPO  There are usually lower deductibles and copayments than for FFS or PPO.