What is an HMO?
The Gist:
HMO and other similar three-letter acronyms have to do with health insurance, not Game of Thrones.
Really!?
As you check to see if a doctor is covered under your insurance, you've probably seen a slew of acronyms and terminology pop up all over the place like HMO and doctor network.
In health insurance, a doctor network (also known as a provider network) is a list of hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers that a specific insurance plan has contracted to provide healthcare at a discounted price.
There are four primary types of insurance plans with different degrees of coverage: HMOs, PPOs, EPOs, and POSs (click here for an explanation on each).
Visual: Patient wanting healthcare but is confusing HMO with HBO,
What Now?
Those on the list in a doctor network are considered "in-network," and those not are "out-of-network."
Before you check to see if a doctor takes your insurance, make sure you are familiar with your plan name, tier, and network.
Or you can call or look at your insurance company to find doctors in your network who take your coverage.
About Wingspan Health
Wingspan Health is a healthcare management tool that organizes your medical information in one place. We connect all your online doctor accounts in one place and help you make use of it. Our tool is currently accessible through our website and is free for all users.
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