Harvard Pilgrim options at husbands new employer, 2 HMO and 1 PPO option. Elevate HMO?

For years my husband worked somewhere where BCBS PPO was the only option. It's been years since we've had to compare plans, and in that time we had a child. So there are 3 of us, my husband, myself and our 5 year old daughter. My husband and I have some conditions that lead me to occasionally need to see specialists. We noticed with the PPO that while the plan didn't require referrals to see a specialist, the specialist practices themselves did. Is there something we are missing in thinking that with every specialist we see still requiring a referral, we may be better off with the financial savings of an HMO? Or is it different because the plan requires the referral?

Also, does anyone have any insight into the Harvard pilgrim Elevate HMO? It's the cheapest option, but so can't decipher what makes it different. The new employer is VERY small, and "HR" is basically the office secretary. She's great, but we're both used to the HR depts at very large employers, so this is a different experience for us and we are struggling to get clear answers.

submitted by /u/Squisheeeeeeee
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