HMO or PPO.. I need to decide!?

I need to enroll in my health benefits.. I have never had so many choices. Each has it's own positives and negatives. The HMO takes out a bit more out of my check each month, but the PPO could cost more if I were sick or needed surgery(etc).
I've read some disturbing things about HMOs(such as not getting all your choices because of whatever HMO has going on).
What are your thoughts and opinions on choosing between the two?

BTW, it's just me no family on the plan.

Oh, please no one word answers.. that doesn't help at all.

if you are relatively healthy and your family doctor is in the HMO, go with the HMO. if you're a hypochondriac or want to be able to go to any specialist you want without a referral, go PPO.

the younger you are, the more applicable an HMO is to you, as long as you have a primary care physician you know and trust. if you don't have one, then go with a PPO because you'll be able to switch doctors easily.

I think if you are young and healthy then the best would be to go with PPO. The HMO plans have lower co-pay but you have to go through referals and with PPO co - pay most often is higher but since you are healthy you do not really have to care about co - pay. Report It

If something major happen then you have freedom to go to see any provider in network or outside but when outside you pay more again but still can see them.

Either you go with PPO or HMO you will have Max out of pocket which protect you from losing the set amount in contract. Report It

ppo

PPO for more control, HMO if you don't care who you see

hmo

HMO's have improved a bit over the last few years because of the horror stories. If money is more important to you, then you would save more with the HMO, but if you have the extra money to spend, the freedom of choice you get with a PPO is well worth it.

I went to insurance training, and in my opinion, you do NOT want HMO.

You are only given a few choices as to which doctor you want to go to and if you ever go to a different doctor than that one that you choose on your plan, most likely you will be the one paying for it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't PPO just a part of HMO? Get real insurance, not HMO it's horrible and has too many loopholes where the insurance company won't pay a dime and you are stuck with the whole bill.

PPO is much cheaper in the long r un, i have had both, and i wish i could get ppo back!

If you do not already have a relationship established with a doctor, the HMO is the better way to go. If you have a doctor, you can still go with the HMO as long as your doctor is a member. With the HMO you are sacrificing some of your choice in provider selection, but you receive cost benefits. With the PPO, you get more choices, but you pay extra for the privilege.

Please listen to me...been there and done that!

The HMO's USED to be better, but now they cost almost as much as PPO's do monthly. If you were to be sick? The PPO is the way to go. You'll have to pay 20% of however much is ALLOWED, but you will get the treatment you deserve.

With a HMO, you have to ask permission for treatment, and it can be DENIED or rejected for so long, you can become terminally ill.

Check your PPO plan. Usually you will have a deductible, + a MAXIMUM out-of-pocket for the year. If you are majorly ill, it will pay off in the long run.

If you have your own doctor and he/she is in that HMO plan, then get the HMO plan, and see your doctor, but if you do not have any family doctor, then PPO is better, because this plan covers more doctors and hospitals that you can chose from. As you said there are a Lot more to it, In regard to your insurance premium and other medical charges, you can deduct them on your tax return, but in short this is it.