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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| U.S. Department of Health and Human Serv | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the federal government’s agency for “protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves” (see www.hhs.gov). The more than 300 programs provided through HHS include Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, research projects, and programs for medical for emergencies, including potential terrorism.
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| Universal care | Universal care (or universal coverage) means that residents of a region, state, or country have access to healthcare from birth to death. With the exception of the United States and South Africa, all industrialized countries offer universal coverage and see healthcare as a basic human right. Currently, U.S. citizens mainly depend on their employers for health insurance; alternately, they must purchase it individually or apply to government programs (such as Medicare/Medicaid). Universal care can be provided in multiple ways. For example, care in Europe is financed mainly by tax revenue (a single-payor system; in this case the government is the payor), though some countries use a multi-payor system in which care is paid for by private and public contributions.
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| Universal coverage | Universal coverage (See Universal care.)
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