> you end up at the same handful of providers in your area no matter your insurance This is very dependent on where you live and the density of providers. If

> you end up at the same handful of providers in your area no matter your insurance This is very dependent on where you live and the density of providers. If you live in a small-to-medium size city or smaller, your description is accurate. In big cities, it's not; there is a whole set of doctors who don't work with HMOs at all, because they don't have to. They often are the best, most in demand doctors as well.