Category: S

State agencies assigned various health services cost and charge regulation or review responsibilities. The duties of a commission may include assuring that: total hospital costs are reasonably related to total services offered; aggregate rates bear a reasonable relationship to aggregate costs; and rates are applied equitably to preclude any possibility of discriminatory pricing among various…

A health planning agency assisted under section 314(a) of the FHS Act, added the Comprehensive Health Planning and Public Health Service Amendments of 1966. The agencies develop State comprehensive health planning programs, with the assistance of a health planning council broadly representative of public and private health organizations in the State with a majority of…

The privilege, granted by a hospital, or other inpatient health program, to a physician, or other independent practitioner, to join the hospital’s medical staff and hospitalize private patients in the hospital. A practitioner is usually granted privileges after meeting certain standards, being accepted by the medical staff and board of trustees of the hospital, and…

A malpractice insurance plan which involves an agreement by a professional society (such as a State medical society) to sponsor a particular insureds medical malpractice insurance coverage, and to cooperate with the insurer in the administration of the coverage. The cooperation may include participation in marketing, claims review, and review of ratemaking. Until 1975, this…

A method by which an individual establishes eligibility for a medical care program by reducing gross income through incurring medical expenses until net income (after medical expenses) becomes low enough to make him eligible for the program. The individual, in effect, spends income down to a specified eligibility standard by paying for medical care until…

In Medicare, the benefit period during which Part A hospital insurance benefits are available. A benefit period begins the first time an insured person enters a hospital after his hospital insurance begins. It ends after he has not been an inpatient in a hospital or skilled nursing facility for 60 days in a row. During…

The study, examination, appreciation and treatment of defects and diseases of the voice, of speech and of spoken and written language, as well as the use of appropriate substitutional devices and treatment. Treatment for a speech disorder such as stammering or one which results from a stroke or physical malformation. Treatment to help people overcome…

A specially trained individual who evaluates, habilitates, and performs research related to speech and language problems; and plans, directs, and conducts remedial programs designed to restore or improve the communication efficiency of children or adults with language and speech impairments whether arising from physiological and neurological disturbances, defective articulation or foreign dialect. Approximately 26,500 persons…

Insurance which provides benefits, usually in large amounts or with high maximums, toward the expense of the treatment of the specific disease or diseases named in the policy. Such policies are rarely written these days, being more common in the past for such diseases as polio and spinal meningitis, but coverage of end-stage renal disease…

Organizations that certify physicians and dentists as specialists or subspecialists in various fields of medical and dental practice. The standards for certification relate to length and type of training and experience and include written and oral examination of applicants for specialty certification. The boards are not educational institutions and the certificate of a board is…