HMOs, PPOs and HSAs all have their special rules in regards to specialists. Some make you get specialist referrals from your doctor while others just let you book the appointment. It can be very frustrating when you need to see a specialist and cannot because you need to follow a line of protocol first. Once you understand the various health insurance plans, there are simple ways to get the referrals you need.

Health Spending Accounts or HSAs don't require you to get a referral. All you need to do is call the specialist, make an appointment and confirm that they take the kind of insurance that you have. Once that's done, you're all ready to show up.

Not all health insurance plans are that easy, though. An HMO requires you to name a doctor as your primary care physician and they must be "in network" for it to happen. You can see your primary doctor and then ask for specialist referrals from there. This can be costly because you have to shell out deductible costs just to get the referral.

Try making a phone call, first. Many doctors, given the opportunity, will simply call in the referral to wherever you want. They are short on time and probably have a waiting room full of patients waiting to be seen. If you have all the information for them so that they don't have to do any work, they'll make the call to complete the referral.

Log onto the health care provider's website. Many companies have gone high-tech, so you may be able to go online and request a specialist referral. You don't have to pay a deductible and the entire process is completed online.

PPOs are another option, but when you don't need specialist referrals on a regular basis, they can be costly. You don't need a referral on most PPOs but you will pay a little bit more because you aren't required to see an "in network" doctor as your primary physician.

Putting technology to work for you can save you some money and get you the referral faster than ever. When you need to see a specialist, the last thing that you want to do is wait on a referral, so making it easier on the referring doctor gets the job done faster.

Call the specialist you want to make the appointment with and confirm that they have the referral. Once they have confirmed that it's in place, you can set up a date to meet with that doctor. If they don't have the referral, see if they can send over a request to your primary doctor.