Chapter 14: Glossary
AABD
Assistance to the aged, blind and disabled
Abuse (by care provider)
Care provider practices that are inconsistent with sound fiscal, business or medical practices, and result in an unnecessary cost, or in reimbursement for services not medically necessary, or that fail to meet professionally recognized standards for health care. It also includes recipient practices that result in unnecessary cost, as defined by 42 CFR 455.2.
Abuse (of member)
Intentional infliction of physical, emotional or mental harm, caused by negligent acts or omissions, unreasonable confinement, sexual abuse or sexual assault as defined by A.R.S 46-451.
Action
The denial or limited authorization of a requested service, including the type, level or care provider of service; reduction, suspension or termination of a previously authorized service; the denial, in whole or in part, of payment of a service; or failure to provide services or act in a timely manner as required by law or contract.
Acute Inpatient Care
Care provided to members sufficiently ill or disabled requiring:
- Constant availability of medical supervision by attending care provider or other medical staff
- Constant availability of licensed nursing personnel
- Availability of other diagnostic or therapeutic services and equipment available only in a hospital setting to help ensure proper medical management by the care provider
Advance Directive
Legal papers that list a member’s wishes about their end- of-life health care.
Ambulatory Care
Health care services that do not involve spending the night in the hospital. Also called “outpatient care”.
Examples include chemotherapy and physical therapy.
Ambulatory Surgical Facility
A state facility that is licensed, equipped and operated to provide surgeries and obstetrical deliveries. Members can leave the facility the same day surgery or delivery occurs.
Ancillary Provider Services
Extra health services, like laboratory work and physical therapy, which a member gets in the hospital.
Appeal
A member request that their health insurer or plan review a decision that denies a benefit or payment (either in whole or in part).
Authorization
Approval obtained by care providers from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan for a service before the service is rendered. Used interchangeably with “preauthorization” or “prior authorization.”
Billed Charges
Charges you bill for rendering services to a UnitedHealthcare Community Plan member.
Capitation
A prepaid, periodic payment to providers, based upon the number of assigned members made to a care provider for providing covered services for a specific period.
Carved-Out Service
Services not provided or covered under the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan QUEST Integration program but are available through the State or other local agencies
Case Manager
The individual responsible for coordinating the overall service plan for a member in conjunction with the member, the member’s representative and the member’s Primary Care Provider (PCP).
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
A federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that administers Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP programs.
CHIP
Children’s Health Insurance Program.
Clean Claim
A claim with no defect (including lack of any required substantiating documentation) or circumstance requiring special treatment that prevents timely payment.
CMS
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal regulatory agency for these programs.
Contracted Health Professionals
Primary care providers, care provider specialists, medical facilities, allied health professionals and ancillary service providers under contract with
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. These care providers deliver specific covered services to members. They represent those individuals and entities used through the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan prior authorization and referral policies and procedures.
Coordination of Benefits (COB)
A process of figuring out which of two or more insurance policies has the main responsibility of processing or paying a claim and how much the other policies will contribute.
Covered Services
The portion of a medical, dental or vision expense that a health insurance or plan has agreed to pay for or reimburse.
Credentialing
The verification of applicable licenses, certifications and experience. This process assures care provider status is extended only to professional, competent care providers who continually meet UnitedHealthcare Community Plan qualifications, standards and requirements.
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes
A code assigned to a task or service a health care provider does for a member. Every medical task or service has its own CPT code. These codes are used by the insurer to know how much they need to pay the physician. CPT codes are created and published by the American Medical Association.
Delivery System
The mechanism by which health care is delivered to a member. Examples include hospitals, provider offices and home health care.
Disallow Amount (Amt)
Medical charges for which the network provider may not receive payment from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and cannot bill the member. Examples are:
- The difference between billed charges and in- network rates.
- Charges for bundled or unbundled services as detected by Correct Coding Initiative edits.
Discharge Planning
Screening eligible candidates for continuing care following treatment in an acute care facility. It involves care planning, scheduling, arranging and steps that move a member from one level of care to another.
Disenrollment
The discontinuance of a member’s eligibility to receive covered services from a contractor.
Dispute
A disagreement involving a payment of a claim, denial of a claim, imposition of a sanction or reinsurance.
Durable Medical Equipment (DME)
Equipment and supplies ordered by a health care provider for everyday and extended use, for medical reasons other than convenience or comfort. DME may include: oxygen equipment, wheelchairs, crutches or blood testing strips for diabetics.
Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment Program (EPSDT)
A package of services in a preventive (well child) exam covered by Medicaid as defined in SSA Section 1905 (R). Covered services include a complete health history and developmental assessment; an unclothed physical exam; immunizations; laboratory tests; health education; and screenings for vision, dental, substance abuse, mental health and hearing. They also include any medically necessary services found during the preventive exam.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
The electronic exchange of information between two or more organizations.
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
The electronic exchange of funds between two or more organizations.
Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
An electronic version of a member’s health record and the care they have received.
Eligibility Determination
Deciding whether an applicant meets the requirements for federal or state eligibility.
Emergency Care
The provision of medically necessary services required for immediate attention to review or stabilize a medical emergency.
Encounter
A record of health care-related services by care providers registered with Medicaid to an patient enrolled with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan on the date of service. You are required to report all service encounters to UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, including prepaid services. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan electronically reports these encounters to Hawaii Medicaid. The state audits encounter submission accuracy and timeliness on a regular basis.
Enrollee
Enrollee is interchangeable with the term member. Any person enrolled with an UnitedHealthcare Community Plan product as a subscriber or dependent.
Enrollment
The process where a person is determined eligible to receive Medicaid or Medicare benefits becomes an enrollee or member of a health plan.
Evidence-Based Care
An approach that helps care providers use the most current, scientifically accurate research to make decisions about members’ care.
Expedited Appeal
An oral or written request by a member or member’s representative received by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan requesting a faster reconsideration of an action. This speed is necessary when taking the time for a standard resolution could seriously jeopardize the member’s life, health or ability to attain, maintain or regain maximum function; or would subject the member to severe pain that cannot be adequately managed without the care or treatment that is the subject of the appeal.
Expedited Grievance
A grievance where delay in resolution could harm the member’s health or life.
Fee For Service (FFS)
A method of payment to care providers on an amount- per-service basis, up to a maximum allowed by the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan fee schedule.
FHC
Family Health Center
Fraud
A crime that involves misrepresenting or concealing information to receive benefits or to make a financial profit.
Grievance
An oral or written complaint a member or their representative has and communicates to UnitedHealthcare Community Plan.
Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS)
A rating system developed by NCQA that helps health insurance companies, employers, and consumers learn about the value of their health plan(s) and how it compares to other plans.
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. A federal law that provides data privacy protection and security provisions for safeguarding health information.
Home Health Care (Home Health Services)
Health care services and supplies provided in the home, under physician’s orders. Services may be provided
by nurses, therapists, social workers or other licensed health care providers. Home health care usually does not include help with non-medical tasks, such as cooking, cleaning or driving.
In-Network Provider
A care provider who has a written Agreement with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan to provide services to members under the terms of their Agreement.
Medicaid
A federal health insurance program for low-income families and children, eligible pregnant women, people with disabilities, and other adults. The federal government pays for part of Medicaid and sets guidelines for the program. States pay for part of Medicaid and have choices in how they design their program. Medicaid varies by state and may have a different name in your state.
Medical Emergency
An illness, injury, symptom or condition that is severe enough (including severe pain), that if a member did not get immediate medical attention you could reasonably expect one of the following to result:
- Their health would be put in serious danger; or
- They would have serious problems with their bodily functions; or
- They would have serious damage to any part or organ of their body.
Medically Necessary
Medically necessary health care services or supplies needed to prevent, diagnose or treat an illness, injury, condition, disease or its symptoms and that meet accepted standards of medicine.
Member
An individual who is eligible and enrolled with UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and can receive services pursuant to the Agreement.
NPI
National Provider Identifier. Required by CMS for all care providers who bill, prescribe or refer for health care services and is used on all electronic transactions. It is a single unique provider identifier assigned to a care
provider for life that replaces all other health care provider identifiers. It does NOT replace your DEA number.
Out-Of-Area Care
Care received by a UnitedHealthcare Community Plan member when they are outside of their geographic territory.
Preventive Health Care
Health care emphasizing priorities for prevention, early detection and early treatment of conditions. It generally includes routine/physical examination and immunization.
Primary Care Provider (PCP)
A physician, including an M.D. (Medical Doctor) or D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or physician assistant, as allowed under state law and the terms of the plan who provides, coordinates or helps members access a range of health care services.
Prior Authorization (Notification)
The process where health care providers seek approval prior to rendering health care services, drugs or DME as required by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan policy.
Provider Group
A partnership, association, corporation, or other group of care providers.
Quality Management (QM)
A methodology that professional health personnel use to achieve desired medical standards and practices. The formal program includes activities to help improve and maintain quality service and care and involve multiple organizational components and committees.
Rural Health Clinic
A clinic, located in a rural area, designated by the Department of Health as an area having either a shortage of personal health services or a shortage of primary medical care. These clinics may receive enhanced payments for services provided to enrolled members.
Service Area
The geographic area served by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, designated and approved by HI DHS.
Specialist
A care provider licensed in the state of HI and has completed a residency or fellowship focusing on a specific area of medicine or group of patients to diagnose, manage, prevent or treat certain types of symptoms and conditions. A non-physician specialist is a care provider who has special training in a specific area of health care.
State Fair Hearing
An administrative hearing requested if the member or care provider does not agree with a Notice of Decision or Notice of Appeal Resolution from the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Appeals and Claim Dispute Department.
TANF
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. A state program that gives cash assistance to low-income families with children.
Third-Party Liability (TPL)
A company or entity other than UnitedHealthcare Community Plan liable for payment of health care services rendered to members. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan pays claims for covered benefits and pursues refunds from the third party when liability is determined.
Timely Filing
When UnitedHealthcare Community Plan puts a time limit on submitting claims.
Title XIX
Section of Social Security Act describing the Medicaid program coverage for eligible persons.
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
An affiliate of UnitedHealth Group with corporate headquarters located in Minnetonka, Minnesota. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan operates nationwide, serving aging, vulnerable and chronically ill people through Medicare, Medicaid and private-pay programs for long-term care products and programs.
Utilization Management (UM)
Involves coordinating how much care members get. It also determines each member’s level or length of care. The goal is to help ensure members get the care they need without wasting resources.