HMO Advantages And Disadvantages

Having an HMO for your health care can be a really great thing. You receive quality care from good doctors and you get a discount off your health insurance. There are many benefits to being in a Health Maintenance Organization.

HMO plans are usually discounted because a group of doctors in the immediate area all agree to give a discounted rate to the company that is creating the HMO. While they do make a little less per visit the benefit is that they will be inundated with the employees from the large area companies that are using the HMO as their primary source of health care coverage.

There are however some drawbacks to using a HMO for health coverage and one that is a big sticking point for many people is the idea that all HMO care must go through your primary care physician and for many this is something that they don't like. If you have a good primary physician that you like and trust this really usually works out okay but for those who are not really comfortable with their primary physician this can be a big hassle.

Another factor to using a HMO is usually the coverage is regionally based. If you travel frequently or have children in college you need to find out if there are any primary care physicians where the college is located or where you will be traveling to. If you go outside the network of doctors there are higher costs that you will have to pay out of pocket. It may be beneficial to ask about insurance offered through the college for he time they are in school and get them an individual plan for the duration of their college years.

With health care insurance premiums being shifted more and more to the employees to bear, HMOs offer a way to provide adequate health care at a more affordable cost. Do some research as to what doctors are in the network and where they are located and look up their credentials to see whether or not a particular HMO is a viable option for you.