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So let’s take a look at the types of health insurance plans that are available for employers to purchase. Of course we know what an HMO is, but there are different variations of an HMO. So for example, HMO we all know stands for Health Maintenance Organization. And the idea behind an HMO is that your insurance carrier provides you with a network and that you receive all of your care within that network.

There’s also, some other provisions in an HMO that are more managed, where you have to choose a primary care physician, for example. And if you go to a provider that is not your chosen primary care physician, you’re not going to be covered. Also, some HMO plans require that you get a referral from that primary care physician in order to see a specialist.

So if you need to go to a cardiologist or a rheumatologist or some kind of a specialist, you have to have a physical referral in order to go for that visit. Now I will say in our marketplace here, most of the carriers are not requiring referrals for specialist visits, but some do still require that you choose that primary care physician and of course, in an HMO you must always stay in network.