what is the difference between an hmo and health insurance 
coverage under an hmo is generally pretty restrictive and comes at a lower cost to insured parties traditional health insurance on the other hand charges higher premiums higher deductibles and higher co pays but health insurance plans are much more flexible people with health insurance don t need to have a primary care physician pcp to outline treatment health insurance also pays some of the costs for out of network providers the bottom linehealth insurance is an important consideration for every individual choosing the right plan depends on your personal situation including your health finances and quality of life you can choose from traditional health insurance such as the ppo or the hmo the hmo provides insured individuals with lower out of pocket costs but more restrictive conditions including the doctor who you see make sure that you weigh the benefits and disadvantages of the plan regardless of what you choose 