What is the primary reason persons choose to enroll in a PPO plan instead of an HMO?

Asked by: Josie Ritchie  |  Last update: September 30, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (4 votes)

Preferred provider organizations (PPO) offer a network of healthcare providers to use for your medical care at a certain rate. Unlike HMO, a PPO offers you the freedom to receive care from any healthcare provider—in or out of your network.

Why would a person choose a PPO over an HMO?

PPO plans provide more flexibility when picking a doctor or hospital. They also feature a network of providers, but there are fewer restrictions on seeing non-network providers. In addition, your PPO insurance will pay if you see a non-network provider, although it may be at a lower rate.

Why would a person choose a PPO over an HMO Quizlet?

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): With a PPO, you may have: 1) A moderate amount of freedom to choose your health care providers-- more than an HMO; you do not have to get a referral from a primary care doctor to see a specialist. 2) Higher out-of-pocket costs if you see out-of-network doctors vs.

Why is PPO more popular than HMO?

HMO plans tend to be a little ``richer'' in terms of the out-of-pocket maximums compared to PPO Plans. PPO's tend to have higher premiums. A person chooses a PPO over an HMO for the freedom to go ``out of network'' and get medical services from doctors and hospitals that are not ``in network''.

Why would you want a PPO?

Why would I choose a PPO? You have a doctor you like and you want to keep this doctor, and the doctor is in the PPO network. You want to see specialists and other providers without having to get referrals and pre-approval first. You want more of a choice of doctors and hospitals you can go to.

Unveiling HMO, PPO, EPO, POS Plans

40 related questions found

What is the purpose of a PPO?

A type of health plan that contracts with medical providers, such as hospitals and doctors, to create a network of participating providers. You pay less if you use providers that belong to the plan's network.

Why is PPO so popular?

PPO insurance plans allow plan participants to choose from a larger network of doctors and hospitals without needing a referral to see a specialist. While PPO plans allow for out-of-network care, they tend to have higher monthly premium costs and annual deductibles than other types of health insurance plans.

Why don't people like HMOs?

Cons of HMO Plans

Referrals Needed for Specialists: To see a specialist, you must first get a referral from your primary care doctor, which can delay care. Less Flexibility: If you often need care outside your network or prefer more choice in doctors, an HMO may feel restrictive compared to a PPO plan.

Why would a person choose a PPO over an HMO brainly?

Expert-Verified Answer

PPO plans offer more flexibility than HMO plans because they do not require referrals to see specialists and allow for out-of-network services. In contrast, HMOs require members to choose a primary care physician and obtain referrals, limiting patient choice. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

What is the advantage of PPOs?

Because certain providers are "preferred," you can save money by using a PPO. Your plan can't charge more than Original Medicare for certain services like chemotherapy, dialysis, and skilled nursing facility care.

What is true regarding a PPO?

Unlike an HMO , a PPO offers you the freedom to receive care from any provider—in or out of your network. This means you can see any doctor or specialist, or use any hospital. In addition, PPO plans do not require you to choose a primary care physician (PCP) and do not require referrals.

What is the primary difference between a health maintenance organization (HMO) and an exclusive provider organization (EPO)?

EPO: A larger network makes life easier

Like HMOs, EPOs cover only in-network care. But the networks are generally larger. They may or may not require referrals from a primary care physician. Premiums are higher than HMOs, but lower than PPOs.

Why is it important to know if a doctor or medical facility is in-network?

Seeing an in-network provider will always ensure any costs you do incur (copays or co-insurance) are applied to your health plan's deductible and out-of-pocket maximum (out-of-network costs don't apply to these amounts).

What is a PPO in a nutshell?

PPO is an abbreviation for Preferred Provider Organization. It is a type of medical insurance plan that allows its participants to seek medical care from any doctor in or out of the network. However, you need to pay slightly high charges to doctors that are out of network.

What are three disadvantages of HMO?

Disadvantages
  • If you need specialized care, you will need a referral from your primary care physician to an in-network provider.
  • Must see in-network providers for care-less flexibility than a PPO plan.

What does the PPO mean on Medicare Advantage?

A Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plan is a Medicare Advantage Plan that has a network of doctors, specialists, hospitals, and other health care providers you can use.

Why do people choose PPO?

With a PPO, you do not need to maintain a primary care physician and can see a different doctor of your choice at any time, including specialists. This also means when you are traveling, you can receive care wherever you are. Additionally, PPO plans offer more options for laboratory service providers.

What does it mean to belong to a PPO or HMO?

HMOs (health maintenance organizations) are typically cheaper than PPOs, but they tend to have smaller networks. You need to see your primary care physician before getting a referral to a specialist. PPOs (preferred provider organizations) are usually more expensive.

What kind of patient would benefit from a PPO than an HMO?

PPO plans offer greater flexibility.

This freedom can be especially beneficial for individuals with chronic conditions that necessitate seeing different specialists regularly. Furthermore, patients on PPO plans don't need referrals from a PCP to see a specialist, unlike those on most HMO plans.

What is the main advantage of choosing a PPO plan over an HMO plan?

Preferred provider organizations (PPO) offer a network of healthcare providers to use for your medical care at a certain rate. Unlike HMO, a PPO offers you the freedom to receive care from any healthcare provider—in or out of your network. * Please note, a referral may be required.

Why are people against HMO?

HMOs tend to have higher maintenance costs than a standard buy-to-let since many people share them and often have a higher turnover of tenants. Wear and tear can be higher. Some tenant types, such as students, typically involve HMO landlords with more maintenance and repair issues than, say, a family tenant would.

Why are PPOs more popular?

Some policymakers favor PPOs because they offer a model of managed care that is closer to traditional fee-for-service (FFS) than the health maintenance organization (HMO) options previously available to beneficiaries.

What is the purpose of PPO?

A type of medical plan in which coverage is provided to participants through a network of selected health care providers, such as hospitals and physicians. Enrollees may seek care outside the network but pay a greater percentage of the cost of coverage than within the network.

Why do doctors not take HMO?

Each doctor has their own preferences according to their specific practice and the patients they treat. HMO plans frequently need primary care physicians to refer patients and have constrained provider networks, which may frustrate some physicians.

What is advantage in PPO?

The advantage function (denoted as. ) is central to PPO, as it tries to answer the question of whether a specific action of the agent is better or worse than some other possible action in a given state. By definition, the advantage function is an estimate of the relative value for a selected action.