HMO My, the Choices!

Frankly, I find an icy shiver in my spine whenever someone mentions an HMO—HMO-phobia, I suppose. My eyeballs bulge to the size of boulders; my teeth clench into my gums. Ordinarily, surrounding Samaritans commission an ambulance and I emerge from my fugue in the very clutches of that afeared word—an HMO. You can see my dilemma.


Healthcare coverage, despite its unpleasantness, is an absolute necessity. Imagine being simultaneously struck down by a boating accident and the subsequent hospital payments. You can see the dilemma—personal injury is more than enough without having to undergo financial ruin. Under coverage of an HMO, patients share the responsibility of the thousands of dollars in costs for recuperation, which amounts to patient peace of mind—while the doctors are fixing your remaining pieces. But not all HMOs are the same. And not all healthcare providers are HMOs. Here’s what I mean:

HMO vs. PPO

There are an incalculable amount of three-letter words associated with healthcare. HMO and PPO are two of the more popular. An HMO (health maintenance organization) operates under Managed Care procedures, a fixed set of guidelines and options. In an HMO, patients go to specific locations and visit specific doctors. Aside from the monthly premiums that consumers must pay (premiums are ordinarily established based on previous health records and number of dependents covered under the plan) HMOs and PPOs charge deductibles and co-payments or co-insurance.