Citing the flexibility they offer, many consumers choose health plans that provide some coverage outside the insurer’s network. Traditionally, such plans not only paid a portion of the bill, but also set an annual cap on how much policy holders paid toward out-of-network care.
Not anymore.
An increasing number of preferred provider plans (PPOs) offered under the federal health law have no ceiling at all for out-of-network costs, leaving policyholders facing unlimited financial exposure, similar to what more restrictive and often less expensive types of coverage, such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs), offer.
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