| Health insurance is any arrangement that helps to | | | | Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are a |
| delay, defer, reduce or altogether avoid payment | | | | recently introduced but popular insurance |
| for health care incurred by individuals and | | | | coverage. The main reason for its popularity is its |
| households. | | | | very low cost in premiums. But HMOs do not give |
| If you do not have group insurance, or if the | | | | you the flexibility to visit any health care provider. |
| insurance offered is very limited, you can buy an | | | | They designate certain healthcare providers who |
| individual policy. There are number of low-cost | | | | you are allowed to visit and if, even in the case |
| individual health insurance policies like | | | | of an emergency, you visit a healthcare provider |
| fee-for-service, HMO, or PPO protection. | | | | who is not approved by the HMO, you'll be left to |
| In fee-for-services health insurance you have a | | | | pick up the entire tab yourself. |
| pre-agreed health insurance sum, and when you | | | | PPOs, or preferred provider organizations, serve |
| make a claim your health insurance provider | | | | only a specific group or association, and are a |
| deducts this from your pre-agreed health | | | | good option because they have lower fees with a |
| insurance sum. The cost of a fee-for-service | | | | network of health care providers. They give their |
| health insurance is high, but the benefit of | | | | policyholders a financial incentive to stay within |
| fee-for-services health insurance is that you can | | | | that network and, as a PPO member, you pay |
| visit any healthcare provider you want, but at the | | | | for services as they are received and are |
| same time you need to remember that there are | | | | reimbursed for the cost of the treatment less |
| some types of treatment are not covered. | | | | your co-payment. |