2007•The Blackwell Encyclopedia of SociologyRequires access
Health Maintenance Organization
Douglas R. Wholey, Lawton R. Burns
Open publisher page 0 citations
Abstract
A health maintenance organization (HMO) is a managed care organization that integrates health insurance and delivery functions in an effort to contain costs and maximize quality. HMOs differ from indemnity health insurance, where the insurer compensates the consumer for the cost of specified services. On the continuum between indemnity health insurance and HMOs lie organizations such as preferred provider organizations (PPOs) that manage care delivery more than indemnity health insurance yet do not integrate health insurance and services.