What is an HMO?
Put simply, an HMO is a health care plan that allows individuals to seek medical care without having to pay deductibles or percentages of the care’s cost. A co-pay (small payment that’s generally in the range of $5.00 or $10.00) will be charged for each office and/or hospital visit, and the doctor or hospital must be a member of that particular HMO network. This is a wonderful health insurance alternative to the standard 80/20 of yesterday.

All HMO carriers distribute directories to their insured in order to locate a doctor in their area. This will be referred to as your Primary Care Physician. With this type of health insurance, your primary care physician can be the doctor that you’re currently registered with, if he or she is a member of that HMO community. Otherwise, you must choose one of the members from the HMO directory that will be provided through the health insurance carrier.

If your employer does not offer insurance, or if you’re in the process of changing your health insurance carrier but don’t know how to locate one, the internet is a very helpful resource. By simply typing in “HMO carrier,” you’ll have access to a wide variety of companies that offer this type of health insurance. By clicking on the link that’s provided, you’ll be brought into an information area where you may choose to do research, ask a question, contact a representative or sign up for their specific brand of health insurance.