Glossary |
Our glossary of terms explains the jargon and defines the common acronyms you will come across at Health Care Reform Plans. Please email us at
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| Electronic health information technology | Electronic health information technology (health IT) is the computerization of medical records, the goals of which are to reduce medical errors, save time, and increase the safety and quality of care to patients. The Medicare Modernization Act of 2006 pressed for physician adoption of electronic prescribing, at the minimum. Those opposed to implementing the technology say that it will be expensive.
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| Electronic medical records (EMRs) | Electronic medical records (EMRs) (See Electronic health information technology.)
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| Employer mandate | Employer mandate is a term that refers to the requirement of all employers to provide healthcare to their employees. Opponents, argue that the mandate burdens small businesses, especially entry-level wage industries (e.g., restaurants), rather than profitable businesses (e.g., law firms). Many employers also feel that providing health care coverage has become so complex and burdensome that it is inappropriate to expect employers to keep handling this task.
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| Employer-based health insurance | Employer-based health insurance (or Employer-based insurance, EBI) is healthcare coverage offered through one’s own employer or the employer of a relative. Sometimes this coverage is offered through a union. This type of insurance became the mainstay of the American healthcare system around World War II, when companies were competing fiercely for the best workers. It has been maintained since then, although some groups now believe it should be replaced.
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| Evidence-based care | Evidence-based care (See Evidence-based medicine.)
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| Evidence-based medicine | Evidence-based medicine (also known as evidence-based care) is healthcare that relies on standards based on the scientific method of medical practice. To determine the best choices for care of patients, practitioners evaluate the quality of the best, most recent medical evidence in relation to the risks and benefits of treatments.
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| Federal Employee Health Benefits Program | Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), also known as the Federal Employee Program, is the system that provides healthcare coverage for civilian employees of the U.S. government, such as mail carriers and members of the U.S. Congress. Through this program, plans are sponsored and marketed to employees by insurance companies, regional/local organizations, and employee organizations such as labor unions; providers include Blue Cross and Blue Shield and HMOs. Employees and employers—the federal organization that the employee works for—share the cost. (See opm.gov/insure/health.)
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| fee-for-service | Under the fee-for-service model of healthcare, doctors and other caregivers receive a fee for each service—office visit, X-ray, or surgical procedure—rendered. When this term is used in connection with health insurance, it generally refers to a plan that allows a patient to choose a specific caregiver for a service, but that requires the patient to pay the doctor directly and then submit a claim for reimbursement.
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| Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This federal agency is responsible for the safety and regulation of food and dietary supplements (for humans and animals), cosmetics, and radiation-emitting products, and for the safety and effectiveness of drugs, biological products, and medical devices. Through its regulation and approval of such products, the FDA ensures public health and also works to speed innovations in medicine. (See fda.gov.)
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| Government-based healthcare | Government-based healthcare is care controlled by a government, such as the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP), Medicaid, Medicare, the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, or the Veterans Health Administration.
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