What is an HMO and what does it mean Also, for dental insurance, what does DPO and DHMO mean

HMO: Health Maintenance Organization

DPO: Dental Provider Organization

DHMO: Dental Health Maintenance Organization

In general, these are insurance plans that require you to see approved doctors. Sometimes at their centers. Sometimes from a list. You usually need a "primary care physician" who you must see for everything. No specialists unless your PCP recommends one, the specialist is on the HMO list, and the HMO company approves it.

HMO's are cheaper than other alternatives, so they work well for people with few medical problems. However, due to their inflexibility and bureaucratic nature, many find them frustrating.

A DHMO is the same thing, but for dental.

A DPO (or PPO, for medical) is a more "liberal" plan where you can see any doctor (although picking one from the list often comes with a discount and/or less paperwork) and can see specialists (usually) without permission. They cost more than HMOs (or DMO's for dental), but offer greater flexibility. There is also more paperwork. With an HMO, you pay like $10 per visit and have no reimbursement forms to fill out.