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You are here > Home > Managed Care Terminology > C Words Glossary of Terms in Managed Care The following are definitions of commonly used terms in the medical provider, hospital and managed care industries. This dictionary is comprised of 26 individual pages, one for each letter of the alphabet. To find a certain word that starts with this letter of the alphabet, may we suggest that you please try the "find" or "search" function in your browser. Or you may simply scroll down the list. If your word starts with another letter, please use the alphabet index below. This glossary can now also be purchased
in printed book format if you would like to have it handy and in easy
reach all the time.
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 | C Cafeteria Plan - Arrangements under which employees may choose their own benefit structure. Sometimes these are varying benefit plans or add-ons provided through the same insurer or 3rd party administrator, other times this refers to the offering of different plans or HMOs provided by different managed care or insurance companies. Call Center - See Referral Center. Capital Costs - Capital costs usually involve equipment and
physical plant costs, not consumable supplies. Included in these costs can be interest,
leases, rentals, taxes and insurance on physical assets like plant and
equipment. Capital costs are usually reimbursed to cost based facilities through
submission of these costs on annual cost reports to the CMS intermediaries.
Depreciation schedules apply. Capital
Expenditure Review - A
review of proposed capital expenditures of hospitals or providers to determine
the need for, and appropriateness of, the proposed expenditures. The review is
usually done by a designated regulatory agency and has a sanction attached that
prevents or discourages unneeded expenditures. Often this is related to CMS or
Medicare and the willingness of the federal government to provide allowances for
capital costs. Capital Cost
Report - Similar to the
above review but normally produced retrospectively rather than prospectively. Capitation (Cap, Capped, Capitated) - Specified amount paid periodically to health provider for a group of specified health services, regardless of quantity rendered. Amounts are determined by assessing a payment "per covered life" or per member. The method of payment in which the provider is paid a fixed amount for each person served no matter what the actual number or nature of services delivered. The cost of providing an individual with a specific set of services over a set period of time, usually a month or a year. A payment system whereby managed care plans pay health care providers a fixed amount to care for a patient over a given period. Providers are not reimbursed for services that exceed the allotted amount. The rate may be fixed for all members or it can be adjusted for the age and gender of the member, based on actuarial projections of medical utilization. Capped Fee - See Fee Schedule. Captive Agents - Agents that represent only one health plan or insurer. Carrier - An insurer; an underwriter of risk that
finances health care. Also refers to any organization, which underwrites or
administers life, health or other insurance programs. When an employer has a
“self-insured” plan, the carrier (such as Aetna or Blue Cross) may not serve
as carrier in this case, but may serve only as “third party administrator”. Carve-In - A generic term that refers to any of a
continuum of joint efforts between clinicians and service providers; also used
specifically to refer to health care delivery and financing arrangements in
which all covered benefits (e.g., behavioral and general health care) are
administered and funded by an integrated system. Carve-Out
- The separation of a medical service (or a group of services) from the basic
set of benefits in some way. Normally, the practice of excluding specific services from
a managed care organization's capitated rate. In some instances, the same
provider will still provide the service, but they will be reimbursed on a
fee-for-service basis. In other instances, carved out services will be provided
by an entirely different provider. A payer strategy in which a payer separates
("carves-out") a portion of the benefit and hires an MCO to provide
these benefits. A health care delivery and financing arrangement in which
certain specific health care services that are covered benefits (e.g.,
behavioral health care) are administered and funded separately from general
health care services. The carve-out is typically done through separate
contracting or sub-contracting for services to the special population. Common
carve outs include such services as psychiatric, rehab, chemical dependency and
ambulatory services. Increasingly, oncology and cardiac services are being
carved out. This permits the payer to create a separate health benefits package
and assume greater control of their costs. Many HMOs and insurance companies
adopt this strategy because they do not have in-house expertise related to the
service "carved out." A "carve-out" is typically a service
provided within a standard benefit package but delivered exclusively by a
designated provider or group. This process may or may not seem transparent to
the subscriber, but it often means that separate UR and pre-certification
entities are involved as well as different payers and providers. Carve-outs are
also called sub-contractors, sub-captivators or junior capitation contracts. Case Management - The monitoring and coordination of treatment
rendered to patients with specific diagnosis or requiring high-cost or extensive
services. Method designed to accommodate the specific
health services needed by an individual through a coordinated effort to achieve
the desired health outcome in a cost effective manner. The monitoring and
coordination of treatment rendered to patients with specific diagnosis or
requiring high-cost or extensive services. The process by which all
health-related matters of a case are managed by a physician or nurse or
designated health professional. Physician case managers coordinate designated
components of health care, such as appropriate referral to consultants,
specialists, hospitals, ancillary providers and services. Case management is
intended to ensure continuity of services and accessibility to overcome
rigidity, fragmented services, and the misutilization of facilities and
resources. It also attempts to match the appropriate intensity of services with
the patient's needs over time. Case Manager - A nurse, doctor, or social worker who
works with patients, providers and insurers to coordinate all services deemed
necessary to provide the patient with a plan of medically necessary and
appropriate health care. Case Mix - The mix of patients treated within a particular institutional setting, such as the hospital. Patient classification systems like DRGs can be used to measure hospital case mix. Measurement reflecting servicing needs, uses of hospital capabilities, and the general rate of hospital admissions. The types of inpatients a hospital or post acute facility treats. The more complex the patients' needs, the greater the amount spent for patient care. Case mix is generally established by estimating the relative frequency of various types of patients seen by the provider in question during a given time period and may be measured by factors such as diagnosis, severity of illness, utilization of services, and provider characteristics. See also DRG. Case-Mix Adjustment - See Risk Adjustment. Case-Mix Index (CMI) - The average DRG weight for all cases paid under PPS. The CMI is a measure of the relative costliness of the patients treated in each hospital or group of hospitals. A measure of the relative costliness of treating in an inpatient setting. An index of 1.05 means that the facility's patients are 5 % more costly than average. See also DRG. Case Rate - Flat fee paid for a client's treatment based
on their diagnosis and/or presenting problem. For this fee the provider covers
all of the services the client requires for a specific period of time. Also
bundled rate, or Flat Fee-Per-Case. Very often used as an intervening step prior
to capitation. In this model, the provider is accepting some significant risk,
but does have considerable flexibility in how it meets the client's needs. Keys
to success in this mode: (1) properly pricing case rate, if provider has control
over it, and (2) securing a large volume of eligible clients. Case Severity - A measure of intensity or gravity of a given condition or diagnosis for a patient. May have direct correlation with the amount of service provided and the associated costs or payments allowed. Catastrophic Coverage for Drugs - A specific term used in the Medicare Part D plans that refers to the event of a beneficiary's total drug costs reaching a certain maximum (in 2006 that maximum was $5451.25, for example), after which the beneficiary pays a small coinsurance (like 5%) or a small co-payment for covered drug costs until the end of that calendar year. Catastrophic
Health Insurance - Policy
that provides protection primarily against the higher costs of treating severe
or lengthy illnesses or disabilities. Normally these are "add on"
benefits that begin coverage once the primary insurance policy reaches its
maximum. Categorically
Needy - Medicaid eligibility
based on defined indicators of financial need by families with children and
pregnant women, and to persons who are aged, blind, or disabled. Persons not
falling into these categories cannot qualify, no matter how low their income.
The Medicaid statute defines over 50 distinct population groups as potentially
eligible, including those for which coverage is mandatory in all states and
those that may be covered at a state's option. The scope of covered services
that states must provide to the categorically needy is much broader than the
minimum scope of services for other groups receiving Medicaid benefits. Catastrophic Health Insurance - Health insurance, which provides protection against the high cost of treating severe or lengthy illnesses or disability. Generally such policies cover all, or a specified percentage of, medical expenses above an amount that is the responsibility of another insurance policy up to a maximum limit of liability. CCA - See Cost Consequence Analysis. CCN - See Community Care Network. CCP - See Coordinated Care Plan. CDT - see Current Dental Terminology. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a Federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Programs for which CMS is responsible include Medicare, Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), HIPAA and CLIA. Formerly was HCFA. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has historically maintained the UB-92 institutional EMC format specifications, the professional EMC NSF specifications, and specifications for various certifications and authorizations used by the Medicare and Medicaid programs. CMS is responsible for oversight of HIPAA administrative simplification transaction and code sets, health identifiers, and security standards. CMS also maintains the HCPCS medical code set and the Medicare Remittance Advice Remark Codes administrative code set. Certificate of
Authority (COA) - Issued by
state governments, it gives a health maintenance organization or insurance
company its license to operate within the state. Certificate of Coverage (COC) - Outlines the terms of coverage and benefits available in a carrier's health plan. Certificate of Creditable Coverage - A written certificate issued by a group health plan or health insurance issuer (including an HMO) that states the period of time that the beneficiary was covered by that health plan. These certificates are often required by plans prior to waiving or reducing the preexisting clauses in new coverages. Also see Pre-Existing. Certificate of
Need (CON) - In some states,
a state agency must review and approve certain proposed capital expenditures,
changes in health services provided, and purchases of expensive medical
equipment. Before the request goes to the state, a local review panel (the
health systems agency or HSA) must evaluate the proposal and make a
recommendation. CON is intended to control expansion of facilities and services
by preventing excessive or duplicative development of facilities and services.
Many states have sunsetted or eliminated their CON processes and requirements. Certified Health Plan - A managed health care plan, certified by the Health Services Commission and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to provide coverage for the Uniform Benefits Package to state residents. Regulations vary by state since some states require only HMOs to certify but not PPOs, IPAs or MSOs. Increasingly these regs are becoming more consistent state by state. CF - See Conversion Factor. Chain of Trust Agreement - Referred to in HIPAA rules, this is a contract needed to extend the responsibility to protect health care data across a series of sub-contractual relationships. CHAMPUS - Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services, a federally managed health benefit plan. Also see TRICARE. Charges - These are the published prices of services provided by a facility. CMS requires hospitals to apply the same schedule of charges to all patients, regardless of the expected sources or amount of payment. Controversy exists today because of the often wide disparity between published prices and contract prices. The majority of payers, including Medicare and Medicaid, are becoming managed by health plans that negotiate rates lower than published prices. Often these negotiated rates average 40% to 60% of the published rates and may be all-inclusive bundled rates. CHC
- See Community Health Center. CHIN - See Community Health Information Network. Chronic Care or Chronic Case - Long term care of individuals with long standing, persistent diseases or conditions. It includes care specific to the problem as well as other measures to encourage self-care, to promote health, and to prevent loss of function. Churning - The practice of a provider seeing a patient more often than is medically necessary, primarily to increase revenue through an increased number of services. Churning may also apply to any performance-based reimbursement system where there is a heavy emphasis on productivity (in other words, rewarding a provider for seeing a high volume of patients whether through fee-for-service or through an appraisal system that pays a bonus for productivity). Claim - A request by an individual (or his or her
provider) to that individual's insurance company to pay for services obtained
from a health care professional. Claimant - The person or entity submitting a claim. Claim Form - An application for payment of benefits under a health plan. Claims Administration - The process of receiving, reviewing, adjudicating, and processing claims. Claims Examiners - Employees in the claims administration department who consider all the information pertinent to a claim and make decisions about the MCO's payment of the claim. Also known as claims analysts. Claims Investigation - The process of obtaining all the information necessary to determine the appropriate amount to pay on a given claim. Claims Review - The method by which an enrollee's health care service claims are reviewed prior to reimbursement. The purpose is to validate the medical necessity of the provided services and to be sure the cost of the service is not excessive. Claim Status Codes - A national administrative code set that identifies the status of health care claims. This code set is used in the X12N 277 Claim Status Inquiry and Response transaction, and is maintained by the Health Care Code Maintenance Committee. Class Rating - See Community Rating by Class. CLIA - See Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments Clinical Data
Repository - That component
of a computer-based patient record (CPR) which accepts, files, and stores
clinical data over time from a variety of supplemental treatment and
intervention systems for such purposes as practice guidelines, outcomes
management, and clinical research. May also be called a data warehouse. Clinical Decision
Support - The capability of
a data system to provide key data to physicians and other clinicians in response
to "flags" or triggers which are functions of embedded,
provider-created rules. A system that would alert case managers that a client's
eligibility for a certain service is about to be exhausted would be one example
of this type of capacity. Also a key functional requirement to support clinical
or critical pathways. Clinical
Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) - CMS regulates all laboratory testing
(except research) performed on humans in the U.S. through the Clinical
Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). In total CLIA covers approximately
175,000 laboratory entities. The Division of Laboratory Services, within the
Survey and Certification Group, under the Center for Medicaid and State
Operations has the responsibility for implementing the CLIA Program. The
objective of the CLIA program is to ensure quality laboratory testing. Although
all clinical laboratories must be properly certified to receive Medicare or
Medicaid payments, CLIA has no direct Medicare or Medicaid program
responsibilities. Clinical or Critical Pathways - A "map" of preferred treatment/intervention activities. Outlines the types of information needed to make decisions, the timelines for applying that information, and what action needs to be taken by whom. Provides a way to monitor care "in real time." These pathways are developed by clinicians for specific diseases or events. Proactive providers are working now to develop these pathways for the majority of their interventions and developing the software capacity to distribute and store this information. Clinical Practice Guidelines or Management - A utilization and quality management mechanism designed to aid providers in making decisions about the most appropriate course of treatment for a specific clinical case. The development and implementation of parameters for the delivery of health-care services to plan members. Clinic
Model - See Consolidated Medical Group. Clinic Without
Walls (CWW) - Similar to an
independent practice association and identical to a practice without walls (PWW).
Practitioners form CWWs and PWWs when they want the economies of scale and
bargaining power offered by centralizing some administrative functions, but
still choosing to practice separately. Many of these were formed to allow
practitioners the ability to effectively contract with managed care. Closed Access - A provision which specifies that plan members must obtain medical services only from network providers through a primary care physician to receive benefits. Gatekeeper model health plan that requires covered persons to receive care from providers within the plan's coverage. Except for emergencies, the patient may only be referred to and treated by providers within the plan. A managed health care arrangement in which covered persons are required to select providers only from the plan's participating providers. Closed Formulary - The provision that only those drugs on a preferred list will be covered. Also see Formulary. Closed Panel (HMO or PPO) - Medical services are delivered in the HMO-owned health center, individual offices of a closed panel PHO, or satellite clinic by physicians who belong to a specially formed, but legally separate, medical group. This term usually refers to a group or staff HMO models or closed PHO models. See also Any Willing Provider which describes a different model. Closed Plan - Managed care plans that require covered persons to use participating providers CMA - See Cost Minimization Analysis. CMI - See Case-Mix Index. CMP - See Competitive Medical Plan. CMS (formerly HCFA) - See Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS-1450 - The uniform institutional claim form. See Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS-1500 - The uniform professional claim form. See Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS Hearing Officer - An individual designated by CMS to conduct the appeals process for a claim dispute. COA - See Certificate of Authority. COB - See Coordination of Benefits. COBRA - See Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act. COC
- See Certificate of
Coverage. Coded Data - Data are separated from personal
identifiers through use of a code. As long as a link exists, data are considered
indirectly identifiable and not anonymous or anonymized. Coded data are not
covered by the HIPAA Privacy Rule, but are protected under the Common Rule. Code Set - Under HIPAA, this is any set of codes used to encode data elements, such as tables of terms, medical concepts, medical diagnostic codes, or medical procedure codes. This includes both the codes and their descriptions. Coding - A mechanism for identifying and defining physicians' and hospitals' services. Coding provides universal definition and recognition of diagnoses, procedures and level of care. Coders usually work in medical records departments and coding is a function of billing. Medicare fraud investigators look closely at the medical record documentation, which supports codes and looks for consistency. Lack of consistency of documentation can earmark a record as "upcoded" which is considered fraud. A national certification exists for coding professionals and many compliance programs are raising standards of quality for their coding procedures. COI - see Cost of Illness Analysis.
Co-Insurance (Coinsurance) - A
cost-sharing requirement under a health insurance policy that provides that the
insured will assume a portion or percentage of the costs of covered services.
Health care cost which the covered person is responsible for paying, according
to a fixed percentage or amount. A policy provision frequently found in major
medical insurance policies under which the insured individual and the insurer
share hospital and medical expenses according to a specified ratio. A type of
cost sharing where the insured party and insurer share payment of the approved
charge for covered services in a specified ratio after payment of the
deductible. Under Medicare Part B, the beneficiary pays coinsurance of 20
percent of allowed charges. In a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, the
coinsurance will vary. Many HMOs provide 100% insurance (no coinsurance)
for preventive care or routing care provided "in network". Common Rule – Under HIPAA, it outlines the necessity
of obtaining informed consent from patients. Community Care
Network (CCN) - This vehicle
provides coordinated, organized, and comprehensive care to a community's
population. Hospitals, primary care physicians, and specialists link preventive
and treatment services through contractual and financial arrangements, producing
a network that provides coordinated care with continuous monitoring of quality
and accountability to the public. While the term, Community Care Network (CCN),
often is used interchangeably with Integrated Delivery System (IDS), the CCN
tends to be community based and non-profit. Community Health
Center (CHC) - An ambulatory
health care program (defined under section 330 of the Public Health Service Act)
usually serving a catchment area which has scarce or nonexistent health services
or a population with special health needs; sometimes known as the neighborhood
health center. Community Health Centers attempt to coordinate federal, state and
local resources into a single organization capable of delivering both health and
related social services to a defined population. While such a center may not
directly provide all types of health care, it usually takes responsibility to
arrange all medical services needed by its patient population. Community Health
Information Network (CHIN) - An
integrated collection of computer and telecommunication capabilities that permit
multiple providers, payers, employers, and related healthcare entities within a
geographic area to share and communicate client, clinical, and payment
information. Also known as community health management information system. Community Rating -
Setting insurance rates
based on the average cost of providing health services to all people in a
geographic area, without adjusting for each individual's medical history or
likelihood of using medical services. A method of calculating health plan
premiums using the average cost of actual or anticipated health services for all
subscribers within a specific geographic area. Under the HMO Act, community
rating is defined as a system of fixing rates of payment for health services
which may be determined on a per person or per family basis and may vary with
the number of persons in a family, but must be equivalent for all individuals
and for all families of similar composition. With community rating, premiums do
not vary for different groups of subscribers or with such variables as the
group's claims experience, age, sex or health status. Although there are certain
exceptions, in general, federally-qualified HMOs must community rate. The intent
of community rating is to spread the cost of illness evenly over all subscribers
rather than charging the sick more than the healthy for coverage.
Community Rating by Class (CRC); Class Rating - For
federally qualified HMOs, the Community Rating by Class (CRC) is adjustment of
community-rated premiums on the basis of such factors as age, sex, family size,
marital status, and industry classification. These health plan premiums reflect
the experience of all enrollees of a given class within a specific geographic
area, rather than the experience of any one employer group. Comorbid Condition
- A medical condition that,
along with the principal diagnosis, exists at admission and is expected to
increase hospital length of stay by at least one day for most patients. Competitive
Bidding - Can be viewed by
some as a pricing method that elicits information on costs through a bidding
process to establish payment rates that reflect the costs of an efficient health
plan or health care provider. Competitive bidding is also the process of
offering reduced rates to health plans to obtain exclusive contracts from
payers. Competitive Medical Plan (CMP) - A type of MCO created by the 1982 Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act to facilitate the enrollment of Medicare beneficiaries into managed care plans. Competitive medical plans are organized and financed much like HMOs but are not bound by all the regulatory requirements facing HMOs. A health plan can be eligible for a Medicare risk contract if it meets specified requirements for service provision, capital, risk protection, and financial solvency. A status, established by TEFRA and granted by the Federal government, to an organization that meets specific requirements enabling that organization to obtain a Medicare risk or cost based contract. This is different from a Federally Qualified HMO. Complaint - A health plan member's expression that his expectations regarding the product or the services associated with the product have not been met. Also see Grievance and Appeal. Compliance - Accurately following the government's rules on Medicare billing system requirements and other federal or state regulations. A compliance program is a self-monitoring system of checks and balances to ensure that an organization consistently complies with applicable laws relating to its business activities. (See also Fraud, FBI, OIG, and DOJ) Compliance Date - This is specified date by which health plans and providers are to be in compliance with rules. Under HIPAA, this is the date by which a covered entity must comply with a standard, an implementation specification, or a modification. This is usually 24 months after the effective data of the associated final rule for most entities, but 36 months after the effective data for small health plans. For future changes in the standards, the compliance date would be at least 180 days after the effective data, but can be longer for small health plans and for complex changes. Complication - A medical condition that arises during a
course of treatment and is expected to increase the length of stay by at least
one day for most patients. Composite Rate - Group rate billed to all subscribers of a
given group. Comprehensive Major Medical Insurance - A policy designed to provide the protection offered by both a basic and major medical health insurance policy. It is generally characterized by a low deductible, a co-insurance feature, and high maximum benefits. Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility (CORF) - A facility that mainly provides rehabilitation services after an illness or injury, and provides a variety of services including physician's services, physical therapy, social or psychological services, and outpatient rehabilitation. Computer-Based
Patient Record (CPR) - A
term for the process of replacing the traditional paper-based chart through
automated electronic means; generally includes the collection of
patient-specific information from various supplemental treatment systems, i.e.,
a day program and a personal care provider; its display in graphical format; and
its storage for individual and aggregate purposes. Also called “digital
medical record”. See also Electronic Medical Record. CON - See Certificate of Need. Concurrent Review
- Review of a procedure or
hospital admission done by a health care professional (usually a nurse) other
than the one providing the care, during the same time frame that the care is
provided. Usually conducted during a hospital confinement to determine the
appropriateness of hospital confinement and the medical necessity for continued
stay. See also Utilization Review, Medical Necessity, Appropriate and Continued
Stay Review. Confidentiality – The protection of individually
identifiable information as required by state or federal law or by policy of the
healthcare provider. Consent – See Authorization, and also see Informed Consent. Consolidated Medical Group - A large single medical practice that operates in one or a few facilities rather than in many independent offices. The single-specialty or multi-specialty practice group may be formed from previously independent practices and is often owned by a parent company or a hospital. Also known as a Medical Group Practice or Clinic Model. Consolidated
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) - Federal law that continues health care
benefits for employees whose employment has been terminated. Employers are
required to notify employees of these benefit continuation options, and, failure
to do so can result in penalties and fines for the employer. An act that allows
workers and their families to continue their employer-sponsored health insurance
for a certain amount of time after terminating employment. COBRA imposes
different restrictions on individuals who leave their jobs voluntarily versus
involuntarily (Department of Labor, 2002). Consumer Health
Alliance - Regional
cooperatives between government and the public that will oversee the new payment
system. Once all health insurance purchasing cooperatives (HIPPC's), the
alliance would make sure health plans within a region conformed to federal
coverage and quality standards, and oversee costs within any mandated budget. Continued Stay
Review - A review conducted
by an internal or external auditor to determine if the current place of service
is still the most appropriate to provide the level of care required by the
client. Continuous Quality
Improvement (CQI) - An
approach to health care quality management borrowed from the manufacturing
sector. It builds on traditional quality assurance methods by putting in place a
management structure that continuously gathers and assesses data that are then
used to improve performance and design more efficient systems of care. Also
known as quality improvement (QA) and total quality management (TQM). Contract - A legal agreement between a payer and a
subscribing group or individual which specifies rates, performance covenants,
the relationship among the parties, schedule of benefits and other pertinent
conditions. The contract usually is limited to a 12-month period and is subject
to renewal thereafter. Contracts are not required by statute or regulation, and
less formal agreements may be made. Contract Year - A period of twelve (12) consecutive months,
commencing with each Anniversary Date. May or may not coincide with a calendar
year. Contract Provider
- Any hospital, physician,
skilled nursing facility, extended care facility, individual, organization, or
agency licensed that has a contractual arrangement with an insurer for the
provision of services under an insurance contract. Contributory
Program - Program where the
employee and the employer or the union shares the cost of group coverage. Conversion - In group health insurance, the opportunity
given the insured and any covered dependents to change his or her group
insurance to some form of individual insurance, without medical evaluation upon
termination of his group insurance Conversion Factor
(CF) - The dollar amount
used to multiply the Relative Value Schedule (RVS) of a procedure to arrive at
the maximum allowable for that procedure. Conversion Factor
Update - Annual percentage
change to a conversion factor, either set annually by the government or by the
formula reflecting actual expenditure growth from two years falling below or
above the original target rate. See Conversion Factor, Sustainable Growth Rate,
Sustainable Growth Rate System. Conversion Privilege - The right of an individual insured under a group policy to certain kinds of individual coverage, without a medical examination, upon termination of his association with the group. Coordinated Care Plans (CCPs) - The Medicare+Choice delivery option that includes HMOs (with or without a point-of-service component), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and provider-sponsored organizations (PSOs). Coordination of Benefits (COB) - Process for determining the respective responsibilities of two or more health plans that have some financial responsibility for a medical claim. A coordination of benefits, or "non-duplication," clause in either policy prevents double payment by making one insurer the primary payer, and assuring that not more than 100 percent of the cost is covered. Standard rules determine which of two or more plans, each having COB provisions, pays its benefits in full and which becomes the supplementary payer on a claim. Provision regulating payments to eliminate duplicate coverage when a claimant is covered by multiple group plans. The procedures set forth in a Subscription Agreement to determine which coverage is primary for payment of benefits to Members with duplicate coverage. Also called Cross-Over. Coordination of Care – This term is often used as a synonym for managed care. To some, coordinated care sounds less intrusive or directive than managed care, although in practice, the policies are the same. Co-Payment, Copayment, Copay - A cost-sharing arrangement in which the health plan enrollee pays a specified flat amount for a specific service (such as $10 for an office visit or $5 for each prescription drug). When first implemented, it was thought that the amount paid must be nominal to avoid becoming a barrier to care. However, the amounts of copays can vary widely from plan to plan, and, many now could be viewed as barriers to care. Copy normally does not vary with the cost of the service and is usually a flat sum amount such as $10 for every prescription or doctor visit, unlike co-insurance that is based on a percentage of the cost. CORF - See Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility. Corporate Compliance Committee - The hospital or MCO committee that monitors and guides all compliance activities, including appointment of a corporate compliance officer, approval of compliance program policies and procedures, review of the organization's annual compliance plan, evaluation of internal and external audits to identify potential risks, and implementation of corrective and preventive actions. Corporate Compliance Director - An executive level health plan manager who is responsible for overseeing the plan's compliance with state and federal laws. Cost-Benefit
Analysis (or Evaluation) - An
analytic method in which a program's cost is compared to the program's benefits
for a period of time, expressed in dollars, as an aid in determining the best
investment of resources. For example, the cost of establishing an immunization
service might be compared with the total cost of medical care and lost
productivity that will be eliminated as a result of more persons being
immunized. Cost-benefit analysis can also be applied to specific medical tests
and treatments. Cost Consequence
Analysis (CCA) - A form of
analysis that compares alternative interventions or programs in which the
components of incremental costs and consequences are listed without aggregation.
Cost Containment -
Control of inefficiencies in
the consumption, allocation, or production of health care services that
contribute to higher than necessary costs. Inefficiencies are thought to exist
in consumption when health services are inappropriately utilized; inefficiencies
in allocation exist when health services could be delivered in less costly
settings without loss of quality; and, inefficiencies in production exist when
the costs of producing health services could be reduced by using a different
combination of resources. Cost containment is a word used freely in healthcare
to describe most cost reduction activities by providers. Cost Contract - An arrangement between a managed health care
plan and CMS under Section 1876 or 1833 of the Social Security Act, under which
the health plan provides health services and is reimbursed its costs. A TEFRA
contract payment methodology option by which CMS pays for the delivery of health
services to members based on the HMO's or hospital’s reasonable cost. The plan
or hospital receives an interim amount derived from an estimated annual budget,
which may be periodically adjusted during the course of the contract to reflect
actual cost experience. The expenses are audited at the end of the contract to
determine the final rate the plan or provider should have been paid. Cost Effectiveness
(Evaluation) - The efficacy
of a program in achieving given intervention outcomes in relation to the program
costs. Follow-up studies, outcome studies and TQM programs attempt to assess
treatment efficacy, while cost effectiveness would provide a ratio of this
measurement with costs. This analysis may determine the costs and effectiveness
of certain interventions compared to similar alternative interventions,
determining the relative costs and degree to which they will obtain desired
health outcomes. Cost Minimization
Analysis (CMA) - An assessment of the least costly
interventions among available alternatives that produce equivalent outcomes.
Cost of Illness
Analysis (COI) - An
assessment of the economic impact of an illness or condition, including
treatment costs. Cost Outlier - A case that is more costly to treat compared
with other patients in a particular diagnosis related group. Outliers also refer
to any unusual occurrence of cost, cases that skew average costs or unusual
procedures. Cost Sharing - Payment method where a person is required to pay some health costs in order to receive medical care. The general set of financing arrangements whereby the consumer must pay out-of-pocket to receive care, either at the time of initiating care, or during the provision of health care services, or both. This includes deductibles, coinsurance and copayments, but not the share of the premium paid by the person enrolled. Cost Shifting - Charging one group of patients more in order
to make up for underpayment by others. Most commonly, charging some privately
insured patients more in order to make up for underpayment by Medicaid or
Medicare. Cost Utility
Analysis - A form of
effectiveness analysis where outcomes are rated in terms of utility, or quality
of life. Coverage - The guarantee against specific losses
provided under the terms of an insurance policy. Covered Employee - An individual who is (or was) provided coverage under a group health plan through an employer or job. Covered Services - Services provided within a given health
care plan. Health care services provided or authorized by the payer's Medical
Staff or payment for health care services. Covered Benefit - A medically necessary service that is
specifically provided for under the provisions of an Evidence of Coverage. A
covered benefit must always be medically necessary, but not every medically
necessary service is a covered benefit. For example, some elements of custodial
or maintenance care, which are excluded from coverage, may be medically
necessary, but are not covered. Covered Entity – Under HIPAA, this is a health plan, a
health care clearinghouse, or a health care provider who transmits any health
information in electronic form in connection with a HIPAA transaction. For purposes of the
HIPAA Privacy Rule, health care providers include hospitals, physicians, and
other caregivers, as well as researchers who provide health care and receive,
access or generate individually identifiable health care information. CPR - See Customary, Prevailing, and Reasonable. CPT - See Current Procedural Terminology. CQI - See Continuous Quality Improvement. CR and CRC - See Community Rating and Community Rating by Class. Credentialing - Review procedure where a potential or existing provider must meet certain standards in order to begin or continue participation in a given health care plan, on a panel, in a group, or in a hospital medical staff organization. The process of reviewing a practitioners credentials, i.e., training, experience, or demonstrated ability, for the purpose of determining if criteria for clinical privileging are met. The recognition of professional or technical competence. The credentialing process may include registration, certification, licensure, professional association membership, or the award of a degree in the field. Certification and licensure affect the supply of health personnel by controlling entry into practice and influence the stability of the labor force by affecting geographic distribution, mobility, and retention of workers. Credentialing also determines the quality of personnel by providing standards for evaluating competence and by defining the scope of functions and how personnel may be used. In managed care arenas, one hears of a new basis for credentialing, referred to as financial credentialing. This refers to an organization's evaluation of a provider based on that provider's ability to provide value, or high quality care at a reasonable cost. Credible Coverage - Health coverage an individual has had in the past, such as group health plan (including COBRA continuation coverage), an HMO, an individual health insurance policy, Medicare or Medicaid, and this prior coverage was not interrupted by a significant break in coverage. The time period of this prior coverage must be applied toward any pre-existing condition exclusion imposed by a new health plan. Proof of creditable coverage may be shown by a certificate of creditable coverage or by other documents showing an individual had health coverage, such as a health insurance ID card. See also Certificate of Creditable Coverage. Creditable Coverage - Health coverage that a new enrollee has had in the past that gives the enrollee certain rights when he or she applies for new coverage. See also Certificate of Creditable Coverage. Certain kinds of previous health insurance coverage, such as group plan coverage, that can be used to shorten a pre-existing condition waiting period under a new plan. Creditable Prescription Drug Coverage - Prescription drug coverage (like from an employer or union), that pays out, on average, as much as or more than Medicare’s standard prescription drug coverage. Critical Access Hospital - A small facility that gives limited outpatient and inpatient hospital services to people in rural areas. Cure Provision - A provider contract clause which specifies a time period (usually 60-90 days) for a party that breaches the contract to remedy the problem and avoid termination of the contract. Current Dental Terminology (CDT) - A medical code set of dental procedures, maintained and copyrighted by the American Dental Association (ADA), and adopted by the Secretary of HHS as the standard for reporting dental services on standard transactions. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) - A standardized mechanism of reporting services using numeric codes as established and updated annually by the AMA. A manual that assigns five digit codes to medical services and procedures to standardize claims processing and data analysis. The coding system for physicians' services developed by the CPT Editorial Panel of the American Medical Association; basis of the Medicare coding system for physicians services. A medical code set of physician and other services, maintained and copyrighted by the American Medical Association (AMA), and adopted by the Secretary of HHS as the standard for reporting physician and other services on standard transactions. See Coding. Custodial Care - Nonskilled, personal care, such as help with activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, eating, getting in or out of a bed or chair, moving around, and using the bathroom. It may also include care that most people do themselves, like using eye drops. In most cases, health plans and Medicare don't pay for custodial care. Customary
Charge -
One of the factors
determining a physician's payment for a service under Medicare. Calculated as
the physician's median charge for that service over a prior 12-month period. 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 Copyright© 1997 - 2007, Pam Pohly, All Rights Reserved. |
