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HMOs: The Health Care of the Beast Many people are concerned about rising health care costs. In reaction to this, some individuals and companies are gravitating toward the assumed lower prices of Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) health plans. HMOs spend billions of dollars each year advertising their low cost services. While these savings look good on paper, there are many pages of small print. The explanation after the asterisk indicates that not only do the HMOs lack lower costs, but they also short-change the patient in quality care. Much of the money spent on premiums goes directly into the pockets of stockholders and less is then available for patient care. In addition, the main clinical decisions are made not by doctors, but by a board of directors more interested in the bottom line than in little Jennie's cough. When the facts are considered, HMOs should not be permitted to assume the role of the primary medical care-givers. Traditional insurance companies and HMOs have comparable premium rates. HMOs are too profit oriented and, because of this, their patient care lacks in quality. One way that HMOs cut their costs is to spend less on direct care. As opposed to fee-for-service (FFS) companies, patients