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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| Catastrophic costs | Catastrophic costs are medical costs that add up to more than a patient can pay out-of-pocket. Typically, these are costs related to sudden, unexpected illnesses, such as cancer, an appendectomy, or injuries sustained in a car crash. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) defines “catastrophic costs” as those that reach a maximum of 10% of a family’s annual adjusted gross income. Some health insurance policies cover only catastraophic costs. Such insurance is usually less expensive than comprehensive health insurance, and does not cover things like routine doctors' visits or visits to the emergency room for minor injuries or illnesses. Such policies are particularly popular among young healthy people who are only concerned about large unexpected health-related costs.
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| Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CMS administers the Medicare program, works with states to administer Medicaid, sets certain standards for health insurance and long-term care facilities, and works toward simplifying the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), among other responsibilities. (See cms.hhs.gov.) (See Medicare and Medicaid.)
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| Chronic Care Coordination | Chronic Care Coordination is a Medicare benefit guaranteed under the Geriatric Assessment and Chronic Care Coordination Act of 2007. The Act requires that a senior patient receive a comprehensive evaluation and plan for staying healthy as well as coordinated medical care that addresses the individual’s multiple chronic conditions. Certain presidential candidates, including Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, would like to see chronic care coordination expanded and emphasized through federal mandates. Other politicians and interest groups also believe it is a priority, but that it must be expanded through disease management initiatives led by insurers, drug manufacturers, and/or providers.
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| Chronic disease management | Chronic disease management (See Disease management.)
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| Chronic diseases | Chronic diseases are diseases that persist—lasting three months or more, according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. They include heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, diseases that cause 70% of all deaths in the United States and account for about 75% of the nation's $1.4 trillion annual bill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (See cdc.gov.) These diseases are costly in part because the patients usually have multiple conditions (making treatment more challenging), patients often have difficulty complying with doctors' orders, and chronic disease treatment is often poorly coordinated.
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| Commonwealth Fund | The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation whose goal is to improve the U.S. healthcare system so that it offers, according to its website, “better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency,” especially for “low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children, and elderly adults.” The foundation supports research and offers grants to improve healthcare policy and practice in the United States and around the world. (See commonwealthfund.org.)
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| Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System | The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System was established in 2005 by the Commonwealth Fund (commonwealthfund.org) to revitalize the U.S. healthcare system. The Commission, made up of experts and leaders in healthcare and members of government, business, and academia, promotes a “high-performing health system that provides all Americans with affordable access to high-quality, safe, care while maximizing efficiency in its delivery and administration.” The Commission is especially concerned with “low-income families, the uninsured, racial and ethnic minorities, the young and the aged, and people in poor health.” (See commonwealthfund.org.)
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| Community health centers | Community health centers, administered by the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provide “healthcare regardless of your ability to pay and even if you have no health insurance,” according to the BPHC website. (See bphc.hrsa.gov.)
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| Community-based healthcare | Community-based healthcare is care provided through local nonprofit agencies
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| Consumer-based healthcare | Consumer-based healthcare (See Consumer-driven healthcare [CDHC].)
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Glossary 
