health maintenance organization

American  

noun

1. a plan for comprehensive health services, prepaid by an individual or by a company for its employees, that provides treatment, preventive care, and hospitalization to each participating member in a central health center. HMO

---

Etymology

Origin of health maintenance organization

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Big Medicare insurers are paring back their preferred provider organization designs, known as PPOs, while bolstering their more-restrictive health maintenance organization plans, known as HMOs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

Earlier this year, as Mr. Gilbert’s Cobra coverage was close to expiring, he reluctantly ventured back to the insurance marketplace and, after a week or so of reading documents, chose a health maintenance organization.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2022

For 2022, there will be 275 plans — a net loss of one — the large majority of them regional health maintenance organization plans.

From Washington Post • Sep. 29, 2021

The other study comes from researchers at the Kahn Sagol Maccabi Research and Innovation Center at MHS, Israel’s second-largest health maintenance organization.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 1, 2021

Foster care alumni also were more likely than others to be on Medicaid and to lack regular access to private doctor or a health maintenance organization.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 22, 2020