Whether you are self-employed or simply don’t want to purchase through your employer, you will want to explore individual health insurance in Florida. Your two main options our HMO and PPO. Learning the differences will make it easier for you to make an informed decision about the kind of coverage you want to have.

HMO VS PPO

There are a number of differences with this type of individual health insurance. HMO vs PPO is a debate that many people have, and it’s time that you get to the bottom of it all.

HMO is generally going to be the more affordable option. However, PPO can make a lot of sense, particularly if you want to have more say on your healthcare options.

When you choose HMO, also known as health maintenance organization, you will need to designate the primary care physician. You will also need to receive referrals every time you want to go see a specialist. When you have the PPO, you don’t need to select a primary care physician, nor do you need to get referrals.

Another big difference is out of network versus in network physicians, hospitals, and facilities. When you are with an HMO, you will want to make sure that you are going to in network providers so that you don’t incur extra costs. With PPO, there is generally a significant amount of flexibility. While there may be a higher fee, it generally is not as much as if you were on a HMO.

EXPLORING POLICIES

You may still be on the fence regarding HMO versus PPO. This means that the best thing to do is contact an independent insurance agent and start to look at the different policies are available to you. You can get quotes from various insurance companies that write policies in Florida. This will allow you to see what is covered in their PPOs versus HMOs. You may notice that there is not a big cost difference, though you also have to look at what your out-of-pocket expenses are going to be.

There is no reason to do everything on your own. Gone are the days where you have to call around to all of the different health insurance companies on your own. This is the benefit to working with independent insurance agents. Not only can they get quotes for you, they can also help to walk you through some of the other major differences between HMOs and PPOs.

You want to make sure that you are getting the quote to be able to see the real differences. After all, you don’t want to guess at the kind of coverage that you are going to get. Take the time to make some comparisons, ask questions, and be confident that you are getting the best individual health insurance in Florida that you can get for a monthly premium that you can afford.