Blue Shield HMO or Health Maintenance Organization Plans provide inepensive health coverage for you and your family by giving you access to cheap medical care. This HMO plan offers affordable health care that is concentrated on preventive care. Medical services are provided to the insured through a limited network of healthcare providers. This type of plan is specifically recommended to individuals or families with pre-eisting medical conditions. Under your Blue Shield HMO plan, you can choose your primary care physician to conduct your physical eams and routine care. This physician will authorize specialist care and make HMO provider network referrals for you. An HMO plan will not cover any medical costs that you incur from non-network healthcare providers. This limitation may be inconvenient for some, but for others, this can help them get cheaper medical care. Blue Shield HMO plans also offer its Access+ Specialists feature to members. Through this feature, you can visit Access+ specialists anytime you want, without the need for referral from your primary care physician. A Blue Shield HMO plan also allows you to pay copayments for as low as $20 per doctor's visit, copayment of $10 for prescription drugs, special rates for children, and an access to a health care network of 280 hospitals and 25,000 doctors in California. -- June 26, 2009 @ 2:42 pm