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You are here > Home > Managed Care Terminology > B Words Glossary of Terms in Managed Health Care
This glossary can also be purchased
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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | B Balance Billing -
The practice of billing a
patient for the fee amount remaining after insurer payment and co-payment have
been made. Under Medicare, the excess amount cannot be more than 15 percent
above the approved charge. Base Capitation - Specified amount per person per month to
cover healthcare cost, usually excluding pharmacy and administrative costs as
well as optional coverages such as mental health/substance abuse services. Base Year Costs - In Medicare, the amount a hospital actually
spent to render care in a previous time period. Depending on the hospital's
Medicare cost reporting period, the base year was the fiscal year ending on or
after September 30, 1982 and before September 30, 1983 for hospitals in
operation at that time. Recent legislation has made dramatic changes in cost
reporting opportunities for healthcare providers, limiting these reimbursements. Bed Days - Number of inpatient hospital days per
1,000 health plan members for a specified period, usually annual. Behavioral Health,
Behavioral Healthcare - An
umbrella term that includes mental health, psychiatric, marriage and family
counseling, addictions treatment and substance abuse. Services are provided by a
myriad of providers, including social workers, counselors, psychiatrist,
psychologists, neurologists and even family practice physicians. Many states
have "parity" laws that attempt to require that behavioral health
insurance coverage be provided "on par" to physical health coverage. Behavioral Offset
- This is the change in the
number and type of services that is projected to occur in response to a change
in fees. A 50 percent behavioral offset suggests that 50 percent of the savings
from fee reductions will be offset by increased volume and intensity of
services. Benchmark - A goal to be attained. These goals are
chosen by comparisons with other providers, by consulting statistical reports
available or are drawn from the best practices within the organization or
industry. Benchmarks are used in quality improvement programs to encourage
improvement of care, efficiencies or services. Benchmarks are also used for
length of stay comparisons, costs, utilization review, risk management and
financial analysis. The benchmarking process identifies the best performance in
the industry (health care or non-health care) for a particular process or
outcome, determines how that performance is achieved, and applies the lessons
learned to improve performance. Beneficiary
, also called Eligible, Enrollee, or Member - The name for a person who has
health care insurance through Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance or health
benefits plan. Individual who is either using or eligible to
use insurance benefits, including health insurance benefits, under an insurance
contract. Any person eligible as either a subscriber or a dependent for a
managed care service in accordance with a contract. An individual who receives
benefits from or is covered by an insurance policy or other health care
financing program. Beneficiary Liability - The amount beneficiaries must pay providers for Medicare-covered services. Liabilities include copayments, deductibles, and balance billing amounts. CMS has very strict rules about health providers billing patients for their liabilities. Cost based facilities are not allowed to charge non-payment by beneficiaries to bad debt unless a clear history of collection activity is recorded. Beneficence - An ethical principle which, when applied to managed care, states that each member should be treated in a manner that respects his or her own goals and values and that managed care organizations and their providers have a duty to promote the good of the members as a group. Benefit Design - The process an MCO uses to determine which benefits or the level of benefits that will be offered to its members, the degree to which members will be expected to share the costs of such benefits, and how a member can access medical care through the health plan. Benefit
Limitations - Any provision,
other than an exclusion, which restricts coverage in the Evidence of Coverage,
regardless of medical necessity. Limitations are often expressed in terms of
dollar amounts, length of stay, diagnosis or treatment descriptions. Benefit Package - Aggregate services specifically defined by an
insurance policy or HMO that can be provided to patients. The services a payer
offers to a group or individual. The package will specify include cost,
limitation on the amounts of services, and annual or lifetime spending limits. Benefit Payment Schedule - List of amounts an insurance plan will pay for covered health care services. Benefit Period - Normally refers to the “benefit period” that begins the day the patient goes to a hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF). According to Medicare, the benefit period ends when the patient haven’t received any hospital care (or skilled care in a SNF) for 60 days in a row and if the patient goes into a hospital or a SNF after one benefit period has ended, a new benefit period begins. Patients are normally expected to pay the inpatient hospital deductible for each benefit period. Benefits - Benefits are specific areas of Plan
coverage's, i.e., outpatient visits, hospitalization and so forth, that make up
the range of medical services that a payer markets to its subscribers. Also, a
contractual agreement, specified in an Evidence of Coverage, determining covered
services provided by insurers to members. Billed Claims - Fees submitted by a health care provider
for services rendered to a covered person. Fees billed and fees paid are rarely
synonymous. Biometric
Identifier - Identifying information based on a physical
characteristic (e.g., a fingerprint). Confidentiality laws and HIPAA privacy
rules refer to biometric identifiers. Bioterrorism or Biological Warfare - The unlawful use, wartime use, or threatened use, of microorganisms or toxins to produce death or disease in humans. Often viewed as the preferred choice of warfare of less powerful groups of people in attempt to wage war or protect themselves from more powerful groups or nations. However, biological agents could be used by individuals or by powerful nations as well. Blended Rating - For groups with limited recorded claim experience, a method of forecasting a group's cost of benefits based partly on an MCO's manual rates and partly on the group's experience. Block Grant - Federal funds made to a state for the
delivery of a specific group of related services, such as drug abuse related
services. Board Certified
(Boarded, Diplomate) - Describes
a physician who has passed a written and oral examination given by a medical
specialty board and who has been certified as a specialist in that area. Board Eligible - Describes a physician who is eligible to take
the specialty board examination by virtue of being graduated from an approved
medical school, completing a specific type and length of training, and
practicing for a specified amount of time. Some HMOs and other health facilities
accept board eligibility as equivalent to board certification, significant in
that many managed care companies restrict referrals to physicians without
certification. Bonus Payment - An additional amount paid by Medicare for
services provided by physicians in Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Currently, the bonus payment is 10 percent of Medicare's share of allowed
charges. This is not to be confused with other payments to hospitals, such as
the disproportionate share payment or the settlement made to facilities at the
end of a cost report year. Bundled Payment - A single comprehensive payment for a group of
related services. Bundled payments have become the norm in recent years and CMS
and other payers investigate unbundled services closely. Unbundling service
charges has been a common form of fraud as defined by CMS. Business Associate – Under HIPAA rules, this term refers to
an outside person/entity that performs a service on behalf of the health
care provider (including a researcher) or the health care institution during
which individually identifiable health information is created, used, or
disclosed. For example, web hosting or data storage companies will be business
associates if they receive protected health information. In addition, third
parties that handle billing for a research study, or recruitment and screening,
will also be business associates. Certain exceptions apply. Broker - A salesperson who has obtained a state
license to sell and service contracts of multiple health plans or insurers, and
who is ordinarily considered to be an agent of the buyer, not the health plan or
insurer. One who represents an insured in
solicitation, negotiation, or procurement of contracts of insurance, and
who may render services incidental to those functions. By law, the broker may
also be an agent of the insurer for certain purposes such as delivery of the
policy or collection of the premium. A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Home This glossary can also be purchased in printed book format if you would like to have a copy for your briefcase or desk. Copyright© 1997 - Present Date, Pam Pohly, All Rights Reserved. |
