- Why Do I Need Health Insurance?
- What to Look For in Healthcare
- Saving Money On Healthcare
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans
- Why Blue Cross Blue Shield?
- Health Savings Accounts
- Short Term Plans
- Dental Care
- Insurance For Students
- Insurance For Small Business
What is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)?
An HMO is a type of managed care plan that works with individual doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers to offer medical services for a discount. The relationship between the HMO and the healthcare providers helps make health insurance more affordable.
HMOs are one of the most popular health insurance plans — because it offers you comprehensive care at low rates.
Using An HMO
An HMO has you choose a primary care physician — who could be a family doctor, a pediatrician, a general practitioner, or an OB/GYN — for your general medical care. If you need specialized care, your primary care physician will have to give you a referral to another doctor or hospital to remain covered.
Staying Covered
To stay covered, you need to get your care within the HMO “network.” This means medical visits only to HMO contracted health providers, or referrals from your primary care physician.
HMOs differ from Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), which offer more flexibility in choosing your healthcare provider. But most HMOs won’t have a deductible and usually have lower monthly premiums than PPOs.
HMOs Want You To Stay Healthy
Aside from lowering your health insurance costs, HMOs stress healthy living and wellness. To keep you healthy, many HMOs will provide preventive care medical services such as:
- Immunizations
- Mammograms
- Physicals
- Well-baby checkups
These services are typically provided at a low cost or even free — to keep you healthy.
If you’re ready to find the right HMO plan for you, use our free quote service and get fast quotes from our professional agents. Or you can learn even more about HMOs…
