It's health benefits selection time at work! I'm fed up with the PPO I have now, but the only other choice I can afford is an HMO. Is switching a good idea or a bad idea? (I'm looking at Aetna HMO specifically, but I'd value more general input too.)
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posted by Jeanne
on Nov 2, 2012 -
11 answers
Am I wrong about how primary care vs. specialists works or is my doctor's offfice badly managed?
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posted by Jahaza
on Oct 23, 2012 -
22 answers
I unknowingly went to a doctor that is not my primary care physician on my HMO plan. What's the damage going to be? What can I do for the best possible outcome?
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posted by hot little pancake
on Jul 11, 2011 -
13 answers
Should I switch to a HMO? My company offers Kaiser Permanente's HMO, and it's a good bit cheaper than my current plan. People tell me that HMOs are evil, but the plan looks pretty good on paper. I'm in Washington, DC.
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posted by schmod
on Oct 27, 2010 -
21 answers
Does your employer and/or plan administrator have any obligation to notify you of the option to elect COBRA insurance coverage when you quit a job where you were receiving health insurance?
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posted by doomtop
on Feb 5, 2010 -
16 answers
I don't understand why health care suddenly costs so damn much. I can understand a few factors - nurses' pay has gone up, new treatments are more expensive (and doctors prescribe more expensive treatments - sometimes
unnecissarily) but these factors don't seem to explain how insanely costly health care has become. And where is all that money going? Again, I understand that CEO pay has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, but is that enough to explain the enormous cost of health care these days?
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posted by serazin
on Nov 28, 2008 -
43 answers
TMI Medical Filter: Previously, I had sometimes crippling stomach pain. That went away. Now I'm, uh, bleeding. Rectally. Um. Yeah. But my HMO doesn't seem to care all that much. MetaFilter is not my doctor, but I can't go to my doctor to ask... should I skip my HMO and go to the hospital?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 11, 2008 -
26 answers
I have a choice of going on my employer's insurance plan or staying on the insurance plan my husband's employer offers. My plan would be an HMO with low co-pays and great coverage (100%), but it's an HMO. Everything has to be approved in advance, etc. My husband's plan is an EPO, with slightly higher co-pays, and all that. The difference in monthly premiums is slight ($50). What to pick?
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posted by Mozzie
on Oct 9, 2007 -
16 answers
I'm scared to talk to my health insurance company regarding a denied claim and further needed treatment.
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posted by desjardins
on Sep 4, 2007 -
16 answers
What sort of doctor should a young woman have as her primary physician?
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posted by divka
on Nov 14, 2006 -
16 answers
A twofold question, both procedural and specific, about doctors, insurance plans, choices, research, and, optionally, the downtown Chicago Loop area.
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posted by WCityMike
on Jun 4, 2006 -
7 answers
My parents are members of an HMO, but our dealings with them have been frustrating, and we need help. (*Catheter references inside.)
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posted by evil holiday magic
on Jan 8, 2006 -
6 answers
I'm thinking of seeking counseling for a variety of reasons. Being new to the US however, I have questions about how therapy will have an effect on my future health care coverage. Should I pay out-of-pocket or file for coverage?
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posted by barnone
on Nov 7, 2005 -
8 answers
I have always had attention problems, but when I was tested in 1993, the tests came back inconclusive: the neuropsychologist concluded that only 7% of my 'issues' was ADD. That was twelve years ago. In my adulthood, I'm having serious problems concentrating, but am unsure of the effects the common ADD medications will have on me, and I'm curious if there are different treatments for attention deficit due to adult ADD and due to other 'issues'.
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posted by SpecialK
on Jun 18, 2005 -
9 answers
Health insurance: CIGNA vs. Kaiser Permanente. My employer offers a choice of partially-subsidised HMO plans with either CIGNA or KP. KP seems a lot (about 50%) cheaper, but my co-workers seem to prefer CIGNA. Is there a catch? Are they being snobbish? Are KP bad? Or are they just more efficient because they do everything in-house? I'm assuming that either will be a step up from the provider at the student health centre.
posted by carter
on Oct 5, 2004 -
15 answers
