HMO

HMO health maintenance organization.

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HMO (chm-)

n.

A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, geographic, and professional limits to enrolled volunteer members and their families.

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HMO,

abbreviation for health maintenance organization.

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HMO,

n.pr See health maintenance organization.

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HMO

Health maintenance organization Managed care 1. A comprehensive health care system that provides or ensures delivery of basic and supplementary health maintenance and treatment services including inpatient and ambulatory care, in a defined geographic region to a voluntarily enrolled group of persons for a premium; the HMO requires that its enrollees use the services of designated (participating) physicians, hospitals and other providers of medical care and receive reimbursement through a predetermined, fixed periodic prepayment by or on behalf of each individual or family unit regardless of the amount of services provided; use of physician outside the HMO nework requires preapproval Pros Reduced out-of-pocket costs–ie, no or minimal deductible, no paperwork–ie, insurance forms, and a minimal copayment for each office visit to cover the paperwork handled by the HMO HMO healthcare services Hospital, physician, often prescription drug and vision care, home care, and other services HMO models Staff model, group model, independent practice association, network model. See Gatekeeper 2. An organized group of physicians paid in advance for providing health care services to a voluntary population of individuals. Cf Group model, HMO network, Independent Practice Association model, Network model, Risk HMO, Staff model.