Each individual health insurance policy offers different services as well as restrictions when it comes to your medical care. Knowing whether you are allowed to use your health insurance policy to be seen for a private consultation is important because it can determine the amount of time it takes to be seen by a specialist. Before taking out any health insurance policy it is important to obtain a number of health insurance quotes (http://www.healthcare.org) from independent operators, to make sure that you are getting the best deal possible. The following is a look at the different types of private health insurance policies and how they affect your ability to seek specialized care.

HMO

A HMO, or health management organization, health insurance plan consists of a tightly connected group of doctors and hospitals who focus on preventative medicine and close management of all medical interactions. These plans are great for people who would prefer to have a consistent low monthly fee for health insurance no matter how much medical care is required. Unfortunately, the tight management of HMO’s makes it very difficult to seek out private consultation from a specialist medical facility outside of the HMO group you have joined. Instead, all medical care must start with a visit to the primary doctor to get a recommendation to a specialist within the group. This can be very time consuming as it takes multiple appointments to finally have your private consult, and then you are limited to the doctors within the group.

PPO

A PPO, or preferred provider organization, health insurance policy is a tightly managed group of doctors and medical facilities like the HMO above, but medical services are paid as they are rendered instead of a flat fee which covers all expenses. In addition, PPOs have more flexibility in working with doctors outside of your chosen network of participating medical providers. This means that an individual with a PPO could use their health insurance to meet with a doctor for a private health consultation. The only problem is that your insurance company will require you to pay a much higher percentage of the final bill when you work with an outside provider, as opposed to someone within the PPO system.

POS

A POS, or point of service, health insurance policy mixes the best of both types of insurance plans. For in network medical care, you have a primary care physician who must first refer you before getting a private consultation with a specialist doctor, which is similar to the HMO plan. In addition, if you want to seek a doctor or specialist outside the system you are free to use your health insurance to set up a private consult without worry of speaking to a primary physician first, which is similar to a PPO. This gives you the potential for the most savings in network, while the freedom to meet with the doctor of your choice.

For those who would like to use their health insurance to be seen for a private consultation, a PPO or POS health plan will be the best choices, while a HMO will not cover the meeting and medical expenses for consultations outside the HMO group.