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Medical
It is the City’s goal to provide you with affordable, quality health care benefits. Our medical
benefits are designed to help maintain wellness and protect you and your family from major
financial hardship in the event of illness or injury. The City offers a choice of medical plans
through the CalPERS Medical Program.
HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION (HMO)
2018 Insurers: Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Western Health
Advantage and UnitedHealthcare
Under HMO plans, most services and medicines are covered with a small copayment. Most
HMOs require you to select a Primary Care Physician (PCP) to coordinate your care and require
advance approval for some services, such as treatment by a specialist. Care must generally be
obtained from in-network providers, or you may be required to pay out of pocket for the cost of
services (except in the event of emergency or urgent care services). Not all HMO plans are
available in all California counties. To see if these plans are available in your zip code, visit the
CalPERS website at
www.calpers.ca.govand use the zip code finder search engine.
PREFERRED PROVIDER ORGANIZATION (PPO)
2018 Insurers: Anthem Blue Cross (PERS Choice, PERS Select, PERSCare, PORAC)
PPO plans are designed to provide choice, flexibility and value. A PPO plan is a managed care
organization of medical doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers who have contracted
with your insurer to provide health care at reduced rates to you. Participants have a choice of
using network providers or going directly to any other physician (non-network provider) without
a referral. For most services, there is an annual deductible to meet before benefits apply. You
are also responsible for a certain percentage of the charges (coinsurance), and the plan pays the
balance up to the agreed upon amount. Non-network providers are typically covered at a lower
benefit level requiring you to pay a higher percentage of the bill.