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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| Regional Healthcare Market | The Regional Healthcare Market concept is part of John Edwards’ proposed plan for universal health coverage in the United States. Edwards describes these Markets as “non-profit purchasing pools” that would offer “a choice of competing insurance plans.” Regional government agencies would be appointed to negotiate rates with private insurers, to enroll members, and to collect premiums. The Markets, according to Edwards, would cut administrative costs and allow individuals to buy affordable, high-quality care.
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| Reimbursement | Reimbursement is the act of compensating an individual or institution for an expense. In healthcare, a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) is a medical insurance plan in which the employee/patient, the employer, and the insurance company are responsible, to different degrees, for covering healthcare costs. An HRA can be cancelled at any time by an employer. Proponents of HRAs characterize these accounts as part of consumer-driven healthcare because they believe they offer patients a great degree of control over their care. (See Consumer-driven healthcare [CDHC] and Health Reimbursement Arrangement [HRA].)
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| Retail healthcare clinics | Retail healthcare clinics are clinics based at retail stores including Wal-Mart, CVS, Target, and Walgreen’s. These retailers partner with “miniclinic” providers such as RediClinic and MinuteClinic. The clinics are staffed mainly by nurse practitioners who treat patients for routine conditions; however, in New York City, the retail clinic has upgraded to become the “walk-in doctor’s office” at Duane Reade stores. Critics of retail clinics argue that they do not offer comprehensive care, that they are not adequately regulated, and that retailers unethically steer patients to fill prescriptions at their stores. Advocates say the clinics are held to the same high standards as doctors’ offices and that they offer a faster and less expensive alternative to the doctor’s office or emergency room.
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Glossary 
