Why would an employee choose the HMO plan over the Triple Option plan?
A. Under the HMO plan you will have lower out-of-pocket expenses (lower copays) than the Triple Option. The Kaiser plan only requires you to pay a copay for services at a Kaiser facility. Under the Triple Option plan you can be responsible for an annual deductible and a percentage of the total bill. For example an inpatient hospital stay with Kaiser will cost you a $500 copay for all charges. Under the Triple Option you will be responsible for 30% of the total charges up to a calendar year maximum of $4,000. So a $5,000 hospital stay will cost you $500 with the HMO and $1,850 with the Triple Option. See summary below for details.
