Finding the right health insurance for your family is a complicated decision that requires you to consider your health situation, employer’s benefits, and budget. If you’re stuck between a few plans, see how your potential providers compare on these five issues.

1. Provider Source

Some Massachusetts health insurance providers are funded by the government through the Affordable Care Act. Also known as Obamacare, this healthcare is cheaper than private care because the government subsidizes your copays and premiums. To receive a government-funded plan, your income must not exceed a certain level for the number of people in your household. You also have the option of purchasing private health insurance if you don’t qualify for Obamacare. These plans tend to be more expensive because they’re not subsidized, but you have more options.

2. Premium and Copay Costs

You should also think about how much you have to pay each month in premiums and how much you have to pay every time you visit the doctor. Generally, plans that have high premiums have low copays, and plans that have low premiums have high copays. If you visit the doctor a lot or have lots of preexisting conditions, investing in a plan with higher premiums may be worth it. On the other hand, if you don’t have many conditions and you work in a low-risk environment, a plan with lower premiums is probably more cost-effective.

3. Network Requirements

Some providers restrict which doctors you can visit, requiring you to visit physicians within their networks unless you’re in an emergency. If your provider is a health maintenance organization or an exclusive provider organization, you have to use a provider-approved doctor. Other providers allow you to use whichever doctors you like, but they charge lower copays if you use one of their approved doctors. If your provider is a preferred provider organization or a point of service plan, you have control over which doctors you see. When you’re thinking about your contenders’ network requirements, consider whether you already have specialists that you like and whether those specialists are in each provider’s network.

4. Specialist Visits

Most health insurance companies cover appointments with specialists such as dermatologists, gynecologists, and psychologists. However, they differ on whether they require you to get a referral from your primary care provider first. Usually, PPOs and EPOs do not require specialist referrals, while HMOs and POSPs do. Keep in mind how frequently you need to see specialists and how high your copays are when determining which approach works better for you.

5. Included Services

Some medical services are not covered by all health insurance plans, such as fertility treatments and chiropractor visits. If you’re interested in these services, make sure that your provider covers them and find out how much the copays are.

If you’re not sure which healthcare plan to choose, comparing how different plans respond to these issues gives you a better idea. When in doubt, call the providers you’re considering and ask them any lingering questions about their benefits and payment plans.

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