Chapter 2 Key Words Understanding Health Insurance
Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS)
Implemented (as a result of the BBA of 1997) to cover all costs (routine, ancillary, and capital) related to services furnished to Medicare Part A beneficiaries.
Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS)
Implemented October 1, 2000. Reimburses home health agencies at a predetermined rate for healthcare services provided to patients.
Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities Prospective Payment System (IRF PPS)
Implemented as a result of the BBA, utilizes information from a patient assessment instrument to classify patients into distinct groups based on clinical characteristics and expected resource needs.Separate payments are calculated for each group, including the application of case- and facility-level adjustments.
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS)
Implemented for billing of hospital-based Medicare outpatient claims. Uses Ambulatory Payment Classifications to calculate reimbursements.
Prospective Payment System (PPS)
Issues a predetermined payment for services.
Federal Employers' Liability Act (FELA)
It protects only interstate railroad workers and their families, and allows workers who are not covered by regular Workers' Compensation laws to sue their employer.
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)
Mandated reporting and disclosure requirements for group life and health plans (including managed care plans), permitting large employers to self-insure employee healthcare benefits, and exempted large employers from taxes on health insurance premiums.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPAA)
Mandates regulations that govern privacy, security, and electronic transactions standards for healthcare information. The primary intent for HIPPAA is to provide better access to health insurance, limit fraud and abuse, and reducte administrative costs.
meaningful EHR user
Medicare provides incentives to physicians who use EHR for electronic prescribing, exchange of info in accordance with law and health info technology (HIT) standards, and submission of info on clinical quality measures. Also Hospitals that use EHR technology to improve quality of health care( promoting care coordination) and used to submit info on clinical quality measures.
Electronic Health Record (EHR)
A global concept that includes the collection of patient information documented by a number of providers at different facilities regarding one patient.
Outcomes and Assessment Information Set (OASIS)
A group of data elements that represent core items of a comrehensive assessment for an adult home care patient and form the basis for measuring patient outcomes for purposes of outcome-based quality improvement.
Fee schedule
A list of predetermined payments for healthcare services provided to paitents (e.g., a fee is assigned to each CPT code)
Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS)
A payment system that reimburses physicians' practice expenses based on relative values for three components of each physician's service: physician work, practice expense, and malpractice insurance expense.
Copayment (Copay)
A provision in an insurance policy that requires the policyholder or patient to pay a specified dollar amount to a healthcare provider for each visit or medical service received.
Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs)
A resident classification system based on data collected from resident assessments (using data elements called the Minimum Data Set, or MDS) and relative weights developed from staff time data.
Problem-oriented Record (POR)
A systematic method of documentation that serves as the table of contents for the patient record. It consists of four components: Database, Problem List, Initial Plan, & Progress Notes (documented using the SOAP format). It includes the chief complaint, present conditions and diagnosis, social data; past, personal, medical, and social history, review of systems, physical examination, & baseline laboratory data.
Socialized medicine
A type of single-payer system in which the government owns and operates healthcare facilities and providers (e.g., physicians) receive salaries. The VA healthcare program is a form of socialized medicine.
Personal Health Record (PHR)
A web-based application that allows individuals to maintain and manage their health information (and that of others for whom they are authorized, such as family members) in a private, secure, and confidential environment.
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA)
Addresses healthcare fraud and abuse issues.
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA)
Adds new prescription drug and preventive benefits and provides extra assistance to people with low incomes.
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA)
Allows employees to continue healthcare coverage beyond the benefit termination date.
Record Linkage
Allows patient information to be created at different locations according to a unique patient identifier or identification number.
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
Also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 199 Legislation that requires financial institutions to provide customers with privacy notices and prohibits the institutions from sharing customers info with non-affiliated third parties.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
Authorized an expenditure of $1.5 million for grants for construction, renovation, and equipment, and for the acquisition of health information technology systems.
Health Maintenance Organization Assistance Act of 1973
Authorized federal grants and loans to private organizations that wished to develop health maintenance organizations (HMOs).
Usual and reasonable payments
Based on fees typically charged by providers by specialty within a particular region of the country.
Civilian Health and Medical Program -Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)
Designed as a benefit for dependents of personnel serving in the armed forces and uniformed branches of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This program is now called TRICARE.
Self-insured (or self-funded)
Designed as a benefit for dependents of personnel serving in the armed forces and uniformed branches of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This program is now called TRICARE.
preventive services
Designed to help individuals avoid health and injury problems.
Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA)
Designed to protect all employees against injuries from occupational hazards in the workplace.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act of 1970 (OSHA)
Designed to protect all employees against injuries from occupational hazards in the workplace.
World Health Organization (WHO
Developed the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), a classification system used to collect data for statistical purposes.
Public Health Insurance
Federal and state government health programs e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, TRICARE) available to eligible individuals.
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (OBRA)
Federal legislation that expanded the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Individual Health Insurance
Private health insurance policy purchased by individuals or families who do not have access to group health insurance coverage. Applicants can be denied coverage, they can also be required to pay higher premiums due to age, gender, and/or pre-existing conditions.
Financial Services Modernization Act (or Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) .
Prohibits sharing of medical information among health insurers and other financial institution for use in making credit decisions
Major Medical Insurance
Provides coverage for catastrophic or prolonged illnesses and injuries. Most of these program incorporate large deductibles and lifetime maximum amounts.
Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA)
Replaced the 1908 workers' compensation legislation, and civilian employees of the federal government were provided medical care, survivor's benefits, and compensation for lost wages. Administered by the Office of Worker's Compensation Programs (OWCP).
Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA).
Requires implementation of a $400 billion prescription drug benefit, improved Medicare Advantage benefits, faster Medicare appeals decisions, and more
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
Responsible for providing healthcare services to subscribers in a given geographic area for a fixed free.
CHAMPUS Reform Initiative (CRI)
Resulted in new program..TRICARE..which includes options such as TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Extra, and TRICARE Standard.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
This is the health care reform law. Focuses on reform of the private health insurance market; providing better coverage for those with pre-existing conditions; improving prescription drug coverage in Medicare.
medical care
The selection of a doctor to administer proper health care
Hill-Burton Act
This provided federal grants for modernizing hospitals that had become obsolete because of a lack of capital investment during the Great Depression and WWII (1929-1945). In return for federal funds, facilities were required to provide services free or at reduced rates to patients unable to pay for care.
Group Health Insurance
Traditional healthcare coverage subsidized by employers and other organizations (e.g., labor unions, rural and consumer health cooperatives) whereby part or all of premium costs are paid for and/or discounted group rates are offered to eligible individuals.
Total Practice Management Software (TPMS)
Used to generate the EMR, automating the following medical practice functions; registering patients scheduling appointments, generating insurance claims and patient statements, processing payments from patients and third-party payers, and producing administrative and clinical reports.
medical record
a chronological record of a patient's medical history and care that includes information that the patient provides, as well as the physician's assessment, diagnosis, and treatment plan
policy holder
a person who buys an insurance plan; the insured
Investing in Innovations(i2) Initiative
promotes research and development to enhance competitiveness in the US.
Medicare (Title XVIII of the SSA of 1965)
provides healthcare services to Americans over the age of 65. (Originally administered by the Social Security Administration).
Minimum Data Set (MDS)
standardized data on resident health and outcomes; used as a quality indicator in nursing homes
public health insurance
State and Federal Health programs (Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and TRICARE) available to eligible individuals.
Patient record
(Medical record) documents healthcare services provided to a patient, and healthcare providers are responsible for documenting and authenticating legible, complete, and timely entries, according to federal regulations and accreditation standards. Serves as a communication tool for physicians and other patient care professionals, and assists in planning individual patient care and documenting a patients illness and treatment.
International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
A classification system used to collect data for statistical purposes.
Health Insurance
A contract between a policyholder and a third-party payer or government program to reimburse the policyholder for all or a portion of the cost of medically necessary treatment or preventive care provided by healthcare professionals.
Third-party Administrators
An indirect result of the Taft-Hartly Act of 1947. Administers healthcare plans and process claims, thus serving as a system of checks and balances for labor and management.
Single-payer Plan
Centralized healthcare system adopted by some Western nations (e.g., Canada, Great Britain) and funded by taxed. The government pays for each resident's health care, which is considered a basic social service.
Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA)
Created Medicare risk programs, which allowed federally qualified HMOs and competitive medical plans that met specified Medicare requirements to provide Medicare-covered services under a risk contract.
National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI)
Created to promote national correct coding methodologies and to eliminate improper coding.
Evaluation and Management (E/M).
Describes patient encounters with providers for the purpose of evaluation and management of general health status
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA)
Established quality standards for all laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of patient test results regardless of where the test was performed.
Medicare Contracting Reform initiative (MCR)
Established to integrate the administration of Medicare Parts A and B fee-for-services benefits with new entities called Medicare administrative contractors (MACs)
State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
Established to provide health assistance to uninsured, low-income children, either through separate programs or through expanded eligibility under state Medicaid programs.
CMS-1500
Form used to submit Medicare claims; previously called the HCFA-1500.
Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
Has a more narrow focus (as compared with the EHR). The patient record created for a single medical practice and is generated using total practice management software (TPMS).
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH)
Included in the ARRA, this act amended the Public Health Services Act to establish an Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology within HHS to improve healthcare quality, safety, and efficiency.
Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS)
Includes a patient classification system that reflects differences in patient resource use and costs; the new system replaces the cost-based system with a per diem IPF PPS. (Impacted approximately 1,800 inpatient psychiatric facilities, including freestanding psychiatric hospitals and certified psychiatric units in general acute care hospitals)
Consumer-driven health plans
Introduced as a way to encourage individuals to locate the best healthcare at the lowest possible price with the goal of holding down healthcare costs.Organized into three categories.1) Employer-paid high-deductible insurance plans with special health spending accounts to be used by employees to cover diductibles and other medical costs when covered amounts are exceeded. 2) Defined contribution plans, which provide a selection of insurance options; employees pay the difference between what the employer pays and the actual cost of the plan they select. 3) After-tax savings accounts, which combine a traditional health insurance paln for major medical expenses with a savings account that the employee uses to pay for routine care.
Continuity of Care
Involves documenting patient care services so that others who treat the patient have a source of information to assist with additional care and treatment.
Diagnosis-related Groups (DRGs)
PPS implemented in 1983 that reimburses hospitals for inpatient stays.
Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs)
Performs utilization and quality control review of health care furnished, or to be furnished, to Medicare beneficiaries.
Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC)
The OPPS utilized by Medicare and other government programs to provide reimbursement for hospital outpatient services. Under the APC system, the hospital is paid a fixed fee based on the procedure(s) performed.
Deductible
The amount for which the patient is financially responsible before an insurance policy provides payment.
record linkage
The electronic health record (EHR) allows patient information to be created at different locations according to a unique patient identifier or identification number, which is called
Universal health insurance
The goal of providing every individual with access to health coverage, regardless of the system implemented to achieve that goal.
health care
The goods and services, such as prescription drugs and consultations with a doctor, that are intended to maintain or improve a person's health
Medical care
The identification of disease and the provision of care and treatment such as that provided by members of the health care team to persons who are sick, injured, or concerned about their health status.
Lifetime Maximum Amount
The maximum benefits payable to a health care participant.
Per Diem Basis
The method by which issued payments are calculated based on daily rates.
Coinsurance
The percentage of costs a patient shares with the heath plan. (Example: Plan pays 80%, patient pays 20%)
third party payer
an organization that provides payment for specified coverage provided under a health plan Someone else is paying, usually an insurance company
Medicaid (Title XIX of the SSA of 1965)
is a cost-sharing program between the federal and state governments to provide healthcare services to low-income Americans. (Originally administered by the Social and Rehabilitation Service [SRS]).
Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act
legislation adopted in 1988 to protect the elderly against the costs of long-term medical care; later repealed
