Healthcare Insurance Issues

HMO- Is the most popular of the plans and is a group of providers that provides services to subscribers with a very small or even co copay when services are rendered. There actually are various types of HMO's that link providers to create a healthcare delivery system, they are Group Model HMO, Individual Practice Association HMO, Network Model HMO, Staff Model HMO, and Open Access HMO.

The HMO’s stress wellness and preventive care, therefore its focus is more on health maintenance rather than just the treatment itself. Because of this, HMO’s offer much richer benefits than the traditional plans. HMO’s have little to no upfront costs in an effort to encourage maintenance, while comprehensive and major medical plans have up-front cost sharing so as to discourage over utilization.

HMOs are usually the least expensive health plans, offer predictable costs for health care, the least administrative paperwork, and cover preventive care (Barsukiewicz, Raffel, & Raffel, 2010). However, HMOs also restrict direct access to specialists by requiring referrals by a PCP, requiring patients to see a provider in the HMO network, and often not covering more costly procedures or care options, because care is managed to control excessive or unnecessary care. Providers gain if they provide less care (Austin & Wetle, 2012). This incentive could affect patient-provider trust.

EPO vs HMO-- EPO contracts solely with specific specialists, clinics, hospitals and other health care providers to form a network. EPO clients know they don't have many options when it comes to providers, but they do have the comfort of knowing they'll always be reimbursed for any in-network expenses. HMO’s requires a co-payment on each visit while EPO’s have no co-pays. Both EPO’s and HMO’s keep costs low. EPO’s do not require a referral while HMO’s must confirm that specialized care is required before they will issue a referral

Under the HMO, each patient is appointed to a primary care physician (PCP), who is essentially accountable for the long-term care of the members that she/he has been assigned and any specialists that a patient needs to see should be referred by their PCP. Some examples of HMOs are Kaiser Permanente and Humana. HMOs have been licensed at the state level, under a license that is known as a certificate of authority. A pro of an HMO is that treatment for a patient can begin prior to their insurance being authorized; A member may benefit from this because there would be little to no treatment delays. A con of an HMO is that in order to save cost, most HMOs provide narrow provider networks; A member may not benefit if in an emergency because their “in-network” emergency room might be far or there are “quick-care” in their area.

In Tennessee alone, we are once again facing an obstacle under the umbrella of healthcare coverage. In 2017, 3 regions in the state of Tennessee will lose coverage from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, 2016). It will leave 100,000 individuals looking for coverage through other marketplace plan providers. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee stated that they had to pull out of Obamacare in these three regions due to profit losses over the last 3 years (BCBST, 2016). It may seem simple enough to others that these individuals just go get another plan from someone else. We must first consider affordability. Will Cigna and Humana offer plans that are similar to the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee plans? Will consumers have nearly the same or the same benefits as before? There are many different changes that may occur by simply changing insurance plans. The consumers may not be able to have the same providers. They may not have the same medication coverage as before. The deductible could change and make the policy invaluable to the individual based on their needs. Obtaining coverage has been an ongoing uphill battle for some. Our state and federal legislators all share different views on healthcare issues. The Healthcare Reform Act of 2010 brought

Through the use of managed care, HMOs and PPOs are able to reduce the costs of hospitals and physicians. Managed care is a set of incentives and disincentives for physicians to limit what the HMOs and PPOs consider

Today, there are several types of managed care plans including Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), HMOs, and Point-of-Service (POS) plans. There are many types of HMOs that offer members a variety of health benefits. An HMO plan requires the member to use health care providers and facilities within the HMO network in order receive coverage, unless it is an emergency (Andrews, 2014, p. 1). A PPO is a form of managed care that most resembles a fee-for-service type situation. The plan members can generally refer themselves to doctors, including doctors outside the plan, although they typically will pay a higher percentage of the cost if the doctor is out of the network (Andrews, 2014, p. 1). A POS plan allows members to refer themselves outside the HMO network and still get some coverage (Andrews, 2014, p. 1). While these

Insurance is separated into categories called Major Medical Plans, Qualified Health Plans, and Catastrophic Plans. Major medical plans consist of Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans: HMOs are one of the most popular types of health insurance you can purchase. With this plan, an entire network of health care providers agrees to offer you its services. You have to select a primary care provider (PCP) who coordinates all of your health services and care (Ehealth, 2014), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans: Under a PPO plan, both you and your family can see any health care provider in their network, including specialists, without a referral. In most cases, you don’t have to

The Health Maintenance Organizations, well-known as HMO, has made healthcare a reasonably priced for numerous people here in America. What is an HMO? An HMO is an organization where the patient or subscriber is able to choose a medical provider from a list of doctors in a certain medical group. Every medical doctor has signed an agreement to see patients at a reduced rate. This kind of

Managed Care is a complex health care system in which physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare professionals organize in an interrelated system of people and facilities that communicate with one another and work together as a unit, commonly referred to as a network. This network coordinates and arranges health care services and benefits for a specific group of individuals, referred as enrollees, for the purpose of managing costs, quality, and access to health care. The Managed care program may be provided in a variety of settings, such as Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). In Health Maintenance Organization, the insurance company will only pay for care within the network. The member will pick a primary care provider who coordinates most of their care. Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) usually pays more if the member will get care within the network, but they still pay a portion if the member will go outside. And Point of Service (POS) plans let you choose between an HMO and a PPO each time you need care (Merrick, 2013).

A preferred provider organization (PPO) plan gives patients the flexibility to see providers and specialists within or outside the network of care; it will typically cost less to receive care from an in-network provider (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). In most cases, referrals for specialists and designating one physician as a primary care provider is not required of a PPO plan. (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). Alternatively, a health maintenance organization (HMO) limits patients to receive care from doctors, specialists, and hospitals covered under the health plan (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d.). With the exception of emergency can and out-of-area urgent care, all care providers

People monthly premium can be a lot lower based on people income. No matter which health insurance plan people choose. They can save a lot money on their monthly insurance based on their income. The difference between HMO Health Maintenance Organization and PPO Preferred Provider Organization. These two health plans help people compare plans to get the right coverage for them and their family. A HMO health plan is a type of plan where people can pick one primary care Physician acts as the gateway between you, family, and your care. It also plans often offer the best pricing and least flexibility. They have lower prices by limiting your care to the doctors, clinics and hospital within the HMO a network. It require to choose primary care physician

HMO Plans requirements are that beneficiaries must see their health-care providers, doctors, and hospitals within the chosen plans network. With the expectations of urgent care and emergency care situations. With an HMO plan the participants are required to have a primary care physician upon enrolling on the plan. With these conditions; only a physicians can refer the plan holder out to see a specialist. But unlike a yearly check up that I have recently had or my mammograms doesn't require me to be referred out. And most all of my medications are covered under the HMO plan.

HMOs provide medical treatment on a prepaid basis, which means that HMO members pay a fixed monthly fee, regardless of how much medical care is needed in a given month. In return for this fee, most HMOs provide a wide variety of medical services,