I never liked the idea of HMOs and always steered clear, choosing my company's PPO, in this case Aetna Select Choice. For years, I didn't think much about it. I paid my co-pays, grumbled when I had to pony up beyond the co-pays because Aetna's reimbursement fell short and generally thought little about whether I had good health coverage. Then, two things happened that made me appreciate my PPO. A colleague got cancer, a really bad kind. He called me to complain about something I did that bothered him, but before I hung up the phone, he said, "Patti, a word of advice from a guy with cancer. Go with Aetna." He went on to tell me a horror story about his HMO. A few years later, just before I adopted my daughter, some of my women friends were talking and the subject of healthcare came up. It turns out Aetna Select Choice is known for its "well baby care" coverage, something I didn't even know existed. (You take babies to the doctor when they aren't sick? Who knew?)

Aetna sends out a lot of documents through snail mail, much of which appears unnecessary. And their customer service has been known to keep me on hold for a very long time. But overall I'm glad I inadvertently chose a healthcare plan that will take care of my top priority: my well baby!