An
HMO (
Health Maintenance Organization) provides a standard
suite of
health-related
services, such as
doctor visits and
prescription drugs, to a large number of
patients. They cut
costs by
economies of scale, but sometimes also by systematically
denying
claims for
benefits unless the
patient brings a
lawsuit against them.
Doctors worry that HMOs abrogate their right to determine how a patient should be treated. Patients worry that HMOs will screw them. HMOs worry that they're not making big enough profits.
Comedians say that HMO stands for "Hand the Money Over". I'm inclined to agree.