Questions to Ask Your Agent  Does a PPO or HMO provide more
coverage?  A health maintenance organization (HMO) consists of a
network of doctors and other types of health care providers who
offer their services at a fixed rate. You may only visit an out-
of-network provider for an emergency and in other special
circumstances. You will be asked to choose a primary care
physician who you must get a referral from to visit a
specialist.  A preferred provider organization (PPO) is quite
similar as some of the doctors and health care providers belong
to a contracted network and offer their services at contracted
rates. However, there is more flexibility with a PPO as you can
visit any doctor and health provider you like. It will generally
cost you more though if the provider doesn’t belong to the
network.  PPOs just provide more coverage when it comes to out-
of-network providers but HMOs are more affordable.  How can I
get lower monthly premiums?  You can usually get lower monthly
premiums on health care plans if you