I just got access to the benefit info for my new jobert and want to start figuring it out even if I won't be eligible for a couple more months.
There's a Gold PPO and a Platinum HMO, and the company takes care of the premium for both. The HMO is cheaper in pretty much every way (4x cheaper therapy for instance) but I know you're a lot more restricted in terms of staying in network and needing referrals.
If I go for an HMO will I have a harder time getting HRT? I'm not really looking at any surgeries in the next year, so I could switch to a PPO later if there were any network issues with that.
In my experience, PPOs are nearly as restrictive as HMOs, but far more arcane.
I have had many experiences where in attempting to see a doctor, I find one that seems to accept my insurance, only to later discover that they only accept the platinum plan, and I'm on the Platinum PLUS plan, so actually none of my visits were covered.
With an HMO (I had kaiser, which was by far the best healthcare I've ever had) shit was obvious. You got treatment from the HMOs offices, and you were covered.