health-maintenance organization

views updated

health-maintenance organization (HMO) A type of health-care organization developed in the USA, initially on co-operative principles, now increasingly run by profit-making corporations. Unlike fee-for-service medicine, HMOs (a 1970s term) are group practices, providing relatively comprehensive (primary and hospital) services for a standard prepayment, so helping to reduce costs and increasing medical incentives to health maintenance.

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

health-maintenance organization

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article

You Might Also Like