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I'm also a PWP and was covered as a retiree by my employers self funded HMO plan. The downside for my wife and I was any increase in premiums were born solely by the retiree. In the space of five years the monthly premium went from about $175 to $600+ for the two of us. I never had a problem getting specialized care referals as long as my "primary care physician" recommended it. Here are some potential areas to look into: 1. How much control does your primary HMO physician have? Is it absolute or subject to review by HMO staff. 2. If a procedure or physician recommendation is denied what is the review process including timeline. 3. Are there any current Parkinsons treatments/drugs/proceedures that are not covered? 4. Does your HMO physician/clinic have a financial interest in limiting treatment/care? (ask about end-of-year bonuses of any kind paid for staying "within plan") 5. Does the HMO have a quality of outcomes measurement system that can be used to compare it to other HMOs/ PPOs/Insurance etc. 6. Is there a program within the HMO geared specifically to PWP? Some HMOs have this. I am retired military and switched to DOD sponsored Tricare about two years ago. At the basic level copays are higher but there is no monthly premium. Additionally there is low copay perscription drug coverage which is a big item. The downside is the "preauthorization" process necessary for some medical care. My doctors don't always know what needs prior approval so I need to keep an eye on what they recommend. Paul ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn