What Does HMO Stand For In Health Insurance? 
HMO is a health maintenance organization . HMO 's come in different flavors but most share similar structures . With most HMO 's you have a PCP -LRB- primary care provider -RRB- that directs all your care , including referrals to other HMO network providers . In rare situations they will make a referral to a non-network provider . Some folks do n't like the `` tight rein '' HMO 's use to direct your care . In many cases HMO 's have a higher standard of care -LRB- vs PPO or POS -RRB- and better outcomes . 