But if joining an HMO means you'll have to forsake your long-time physician for somebody new, consumers need to be aware that it's not so easy to pick a new primary care physician. Many won't be. Once you've narrowed the list to those who actually will take you as a new patient, then you'll want to know how many of those physicians who are taking new patients are board certified or at least board eligible in family medicine or internal medicine. Once you get those answers, consumers likely will find the provider panel has shrunk from scores of physicians to just a handful. You'll also want to learn how HMOs add physicians to their Provider Panels, a process called credentialing.
Prescription drugs are another important consideration.
One way Medicare HMOs seek to control their costs, however, is by limiting the number of prescription drugs they provide. There might be two or three drugs that could treat your condition. After much trial and error, you and your physician found the right drug and the right dosage that works best for you. When you join a Medicare HMO you might find that your medication of choice is not part of their formulary but that one of the other drugs that was less effective for you is. In Florida, such institutions would include Shands, Tampa General Hospital and Jackson Memorial Hospital, each of which is affiliated with one of the state's three medical schools.