How to Compare Tufts Health Plans

Comparing Tufts health plans is made quite simple by the Tufts website, which provides information on each health plan as well as variations within a health plan. Whether you are already a Tufts health plan customer, or a potential new customer wondering what the differences are and which plan may be best, this information is readily available through Tufts. They also have a full page of FAQs addressing reasons why someone might prefer joining Tufts for health care.

Instructions

• 1

  Visit the Tufts Health Plan site (see Resources) and click on "Members" among the tabs on the first page. Even if you are not yet a member, this is the way to find the information for comparing the health plans.

• 2

  Click on "How Your Plan Works" from the left navigation menu. There are three main types of Tufts plans: Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), and Point-of-Service Option (POS). The HMO plan has two subtypes: Advantage HMO and Advantage HMO Saver. The PPO plan has three subtypes: Advantage PPO with co-payments, Advantage PPO with coinsurance, and Advantage PPO Saver. The POS plan has no subtypes.

• 3

  Click on the plans, one at a time, and review the information for each. It can be helpful to make notes for comparison later, if a side-by-side comparison is necessary. Take note of differences between the plans within a plan, such as the differences between Advantage PPO with co-payments and Advantage PPO with coinsurance. As an Advantage PPO member, the basic plan is the same for each, but with the coinsurance option you are responsible for a certain percentage of covered medical costs.