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Dental and Health Insurance :: HMO Health Insurance - Florida

HMO Health Insurance - Florida

One of the most popular types of health insurance plans in Florida is the HMO or Health Maintenance Organization. This is just a fancy name for group health insurance, and is a type of policy available through most insurance companies nationwide, including Florida. Some of the most popular names include Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, and Kaiser Permanente.

HMO's are managed care insurance plans, designed for early detection and prevention of major illness. Because of this, HMO's stress the need for a healthy lifestyle and preventive medicine as a means of controlling costs. Regular check-ups are a standard hallmark of HMO plans.

Another feature of HMO's is that you must see a doctor that is a part of the HMO network. Some view this as a drawback, while others don't mind at all. It's really an individual choice. Just keep in mind that if you have a favorite doctor that is NOT part of the network, you will not be able to see him/her and have it covered by your insurance plan.

Some of the primary features of HMO health insurance plans in Florida include:

  1. Flat fee premiums. Your premium will remain the same throughout the term of the plan, which could be just a single year or multiple years depending on the plan and company.
  2. You will be restricted to using doctors that participate in the plan. HMO's will NOT usually cover doctor visits outside of the plan network.
  3. Check-ups and preventive medicine is the order of the day with HMO's.
  4. HMO plans can usually be purchased through employers, labor unions, individual hospitals, and even directly from the company that offers the plan.
  5. Dependants, such as spouse and children, will be able to continue with the plan in the event that the primary participant dies during the plan term.

While there are some definite drawbacks to an HMO plan, such plans are usually the most affordable option for most people. In addition to affordability, HMO's are widely available to just about everyone and should be just as easy to find in Florida as in most places in the country.