A general term used to describe a variety of healthcare and health insurance systems that attempt to guide a member’s use of benefits, typically by requiring that a member coordinate his or her healthcare through a primary care physician, or by encouraging the use of a specific network of healthcare providers. The management of healthcare is intended to keep costs -and monthly premiums- as low as possible. There are several different types of managed care health insurance plans, including HMO, PPO, and POS plans.