As an employee at the City of Palo Alto you have access to comprehensive medical plans for you and your family. Our Health Plans fall in to two categories: HMO and PPO.

 

An HMO plans requires you to have a Primary Care Physician who will manage your health care needs. With an HMO plan you generally have lower out-of-pocket expenses when seeking services; you'd pay flat CoPays when seeking services and the CoPays range from $5 to $50.

 

A PPO, on the other hand, provides more flexibility and wider access. Under a PPO you are not required to select a Primary Care Physician and you have access to many types of services without receiving an approval from your medical group. But a PPO can mean more out-of-pocket expense. You have to pay a deductible before the plan will pay for major services. Once you reach your deductible, you may also be responsible for a co-insurance.