Glossary of Medicare Terms

GRIEVANCE - A complaint about the way your Medicare health plan is giving care. For example, you may file a grievance if you have a problem calling the plan or if you are unhappy with the way a staff person at the plan has behaved toward you. A grievance is not the way to deal with a complaint about a treatment decision or a service that is not covered (see Appeal).

GUARANTEED ISSUE RIGHTS (ALSO CALLED "MEDIGAP PROTECTIONS")  Rights you have in certain situations when insurance companies are required by law to sell or offer you a Medigap policy. In these situations, an insurance company can’t deny you a policy, or place conditions on a policy, such as exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and can’t charge you more for a policy because of past or present health problems.

GUARANTEED RENEWABLE - A right you have that requires your insurance company to automatically renew or continue your Medigap policy, unless you make untrue statements to the insurance company, commit fraud or don’t pay your premiums.

HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION (HMO) (MEDICARE) -  A type of Medicare Advantage Plan that is available in some areas of the country. Plans must cover all Medicare Part A and Part B health care. Some HMOs cover extra benefits, like extra days in the hospital. In most HMOs, you can only go to doctors, specialists, or hospitals on the plan’s list except in an emergency.

HOMEBOUND - A person whose condition is such that there exists a normal inability to leave home, and leaving home requires "a considerable and taxing effort. A person does not have to be confined to the bed to be considered homebound by Medicare. Leaving home for short periods of time for special non-medical events, such as a family reunion, funeral or graduation, would not exclude someone from being considered homebound. A doctor must certify this condition.

HOME HEALTH AIDE - A worker who helps a patient at home with activities of daily living, such as getting in and out of bed, dressing, bathing, eating and using the bathroom. Medicare does not pay separately for aides to perform house-keeping services, such as cooking and cleaning, but they may do light housekeeping related to personal care during the visit. Medicare will not pay for home health aide services unless they are accompanied by a skilled need.

HOME HEALTH CARE - Limited part-time or intermittent skilled nursing care and home health aide services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology services, medical social services, durable medical equipment (such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen, and walkers), medical supplies, and other services.

HOSPICE CARE - A special way of caring for people who are terminally ill. Hospice care involves a team-oriented approach that addresses the medical, physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient. Hospice also provides support to the patient’s family or caregiver as well. Hospice care is covered under Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance).

INITIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD - The Initial Enrollment Period is the Medicare enrollment period for individuals as they turn age 65. This seven-month period starts three months prior to the month of the individual's 65th birthday and continues three months following the month the individual turns 65 years of age. The individual's Medicare effective date depends on when the individual enrolls in Medicare within the Initial Enrollment Period.

INPATIENT CARE - Health care that you get when you are admitted to a hospital or skilled nursing facility.

LIFETIME RESERVE DAYS - Also known as "reserve days."  When you are in the hospital for more than 90 days, Medicare pays for 60 additional reserve days that you can only use once in your lifetime. They are not renewable once you use them.

LONG-TERM CARE - A variety of services that help people with health or personal needs and activities of daily living over a period of time. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, or in various types of facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Most long-term care is custodial care. Medicare doesn’t pay for this type of care if this is the only kind of care you need.

LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN - An independent advocate for nursing home and assisted living facility residents who provides information about how to find a facility and how to get quality care. Every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system.

LOW-INCOME SUBSIDY (LIS): See Extra Help.

MEDICAID - A joint Federal and State program that helps with medical costs for some people with low incomes and limited resources. Medicaid programs vary from state to state, but most health care costs are covered if you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.

MEDICAID SPEND-DOWN - A state-run Medicaid program for people whose income is higher than would normally qualify them for Medicaid, but who have high medical expenses that reduce their incomes to the Medicaid eligibility level. Not all states have Medicaid spend-down.

MEDICAL SOCIAL SERVICES - A service generally intended to help the patient and family cope with the logistics of daily life with an advanced illness. Medical social services include assessing social and emotional factors related to the patient’s illness and care; evaluating the patient’s home situation, financial resources, and availability of community resources; and helping the patient access community resources to assist in recovery. The social worker may also provide counseling to the patient and family to address emotions and issues related to the illness.

MEDICALLY NECESSARY - Services or supplies that are needed for the diagnosis or treatment of your medical condition, meet the standards of good medical practice in the local area, and aren’t mainly for the convenience of you or your doctor.

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN – A plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide you with all your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. Medicare Advantage Plans are HMOs, PPOs, or Private Fee-for-Service Plans. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare services are covered through the plans, and are not paid for under Original Medicare.

MEDICARE-APPROVED AMOUNT - Also called "Medicare-approved charge." This is the amount Medicare will pay for certain medical services or equipment. Generally you are responsible for paying 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PRESCRIPTION DRUG (MA-PD) PLAN - A Medicare Advantage plan that offers Medicare Prescription Drug coverage and Part A and Part B benefits in one plan.

MEDICARE COST PLANS - Medicare cost plans are a type of HMO that contracts as a Medicare Health Plan. As with other HMOs, the plan only pays for services outside its service area when they are emergency or urgently needed services. However, when you are enrolled in a Medicare Cost Plan, if you get routine services outside of the plan's network without a referral, your Medicare-covered services will be paid for under the Original Medicare Plan, and you will be responsible for the Original Medicare deductibles and coinsurance.

MEDICARE MANAGED CARE PLAN - A type of Medicare Advantage Plan that is available in some areas of the country. In most managed care plans, you can only go to doctors, specialists, or hospitals on the plan’s list. Plans must cover all Medicare Part A and Part B health care. Some managed care plans cover extras, like prescription drugs. Your costs may be lower than in the Original Medicare Plan.

MEDICARE MEDICAL SAVINGS ACCOUNT (MSA) - A savings account that allows Medicare to deposit a certain amount of money you can use to pay towards the deductible of a high-deductible Medicare private health plan (Medicare Advantage plan). The amount deposited each year is only a portion of the deductible the plan charges. If you need enough care to meet the full deductible, you have to pay the remainder yourself.

MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE - Optional coverage available to all people with Medicare through insurance companies and other private companies.

MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS (MSP) - Programs that help pay your Medicare premiums and sometimes also coinsurance and deductibles.

MEDICARE SELECT - A type of Medigap policy that may require you to use hospitals and, in some cases, doctors within its network to be eligible for full benefits.

MEDICARE SUMMARY NOTICE (MSN) -  A notice you get after the doctor or provider files a claim for Part A and Part B services in the Original Medicare Plan. It explains what the provider billed for, the Medicare-approved amount, how much Medicare paid, and what you must pay.

MEDIGAP OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD - A one-time-only six month period when you can buy any Medigap policy you want that is sold in your state. It starts in the first month that you are covered under Medicare Part B and you are age 65 or older. During this period, you can’t be denied coverage or charged more due to past or present health problems.

MEDIGAP POLICY - Medicare supplement insurance sold by private insurance companies to fill "gaps" in Original Medicare Plan coverage. Except in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, there are 12 standardized plans labeled Plan A through Plan L. Medigap policies only work with the Original Medicare Plan.

NON-FORMULARY DRUGS - Drugs not on a plan-approved drug list.

OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD - A certain period of time when you can join a Medicare health plan. During that time, the plan must allow all eligible individuals to join.

OPT OUT - Doctors can "opt out" of Medicare by notifying the Medicare carrier that they will not accept Medicare payments and telling their patients–in writing before treating them–that Medicare will not pay for their services and that the patients must pay for the care themselves. Doctors who have "opted out" can charge as much as they want, and their patients have to pay the entire bill themselves. The only time a doctor who has opted out can receive payment from Medicare is when the doctor provides a patient emergency or urgent care services and the patient does not have a contract with that doctor. If the doctor did not provide a written contract before the patient received the services, the patient is not liable for payment.

ORIGINAL MEDICARE PLAN - A fee-for-service health plan that lets you go to any doctor, hospital, or other health care supplier who accepts Medicare and is accepting new Medicare patients. You must pay the deductible. Medicare pays its share of the Medicare-approved amount, and you pay your share (coinsurance). In some cases you may be charged more than the Medicare-approved amount. The Original Medicare Plan has two parts: Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance). Also known as Traditional Medicare.

OUTPATIENT HOSPITAL CARE - Medical or surgical care furnished by a hospital to you if you have not been admitted as an inpatient but are registered on hospital records as an outpatient. If a doctor orders that you must be placed under observation, it may be considered outpatient care, even if you stay under observation overnight.

PART A - The part of Medicare that covers most medically necessary hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice care.

PART B -  The part of Medicare that covers most medically necessary doctors' services, preventive care, durable medical equipment, hospital outpatient services, laboratory tests, x-rays, mental health, and some home health and ambulance services.

PART C - The part of Medicare concerning private health care plans that can offer Medicare benefits. These plans, which are sometimes known as Medicare Advantage plans, include Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Private Fee for Service plans (PFFSs) and Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs). You must have Medicare Parts A and B to join a Part C plan.

PART D - The part of Medicare that provides prescription drug coverage provided by private companies. Most people who enroll in Part D pay a monthly premium in addition to their Part B premium.

PENALTY - An amount added to your monthly premium for Medicare Part B, or for a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, if you don’t join when you’re first able to. You pay this higher amount as long as you have Medicare. There are some exceptions.

PHYSICIAN SERVICES - Services provided by an individual licensed under state law to practice medicine or osteopathy. Physician services given while in the hospital that appear on the hospital bill are not included.

POINT-OF-SERVICE (POS) OPTION - An HMO option that lets you use doctors and hospitals outside the plan for an additional cost.

PREFERRED PROVIDER ORGANIZATION (PPO) PLAN (MEDICARE) -  A type of Medicare Advantage Plan in which pay less if you use doctors, hospitals, and providers that belong to the network. You can use doctors, hospitals, and providers outside of the network for an additional cost.

PREMIUM - The periodic payment to Medicare, an insurance company, or a health care plan for health care or prescription drug coverage.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN (PDP) -  A "stand-alone" Medicare drug plan offered through a private insurance company that only offers prescription drug benefits for people with Medicare.

PREVENTIVE SERVICES - Health care to keep you healthy or to prevent illness (for example, Pap tests, pelvic exams, flu shots, and screening mammograms).

PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR - A doctor who is trained to give you basic care. Your primary care doctor is the doctor you see first for most health problems. He or she makes sure that you get the care that you need to keep you healthy. He or she may talk with other doctors and health care providers about your care and refer you to them. In many HMOs, you must see your primary care doctor before you can see any other health care provider.

PRIVATE FEE-FOR-SERVICE PLAN (PFFS PLAN)- A type of Medicare Advantage Plan in which you may go to any Medicare-approved doctor or hospital that accepts the plan’s payment. The insurance plan, rather than the Medicare Program, decides how much it will pay and what you pay for the services you get. You may pay more or less for Medicare-covered benefits. You may haveextra benefits the Original Medicare Plan doesn’t cover.

PROGRAMS OF ALL-INCLUSIVE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY (PACE) -  PACE combines medical, social, and long-term care services for frail people to help people stay independent and living in their community as long as possible, while getting the high-quality care they need. PACE is available only in states that have chosen to offer it under Medicaid. Special rules for eligibility may apply.

QUALIFIED MEDICARE BENEFICIARY PROGRAM (QMB) - Federal program administered by each state's Medicaid program that helps people with Medicare with low incomes pay their coinsurance, deductibles, and premiums.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATION (QIO) - Groups of practicing doctors and other health care experts. They are paid by the federal government to check and improve the care given to Medicare patients. They must review your complaints about the quality of care given by: inpatient hospitals, hospital outpatient departments, hospital emergency rooms, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, Private Fee-for-Service Plans, and ambulatory surgical centers. These doctors also review fast-track termination decisions in comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and home health and hospice settings for people in Medicare Health Plans.

REFERRAL - A written order from your primary care doctor for you to see a specialist or get certain services. In many HMOs, you need to get a referral before you can get care from anyone except your primary care doctor. If you don’t get a referral first, the plan may not pay for your care.

REHABILITATION - Rehabilitative services are ordered by your doctor to help you recover from an illness or injury. These services are given by nurses and physical, occupational, and speech therapists. Examples include working with a physical therapist to help you walk and with an occupational therapist to help you get dressed.

SECOND OPINION - This is when another doctor gives his or her view about what you have and how it should be treated.

SECONDARY PAYER - An insurance policy, plan, or program that pays second on a claim for medical care. This could be Medicare, Medicaid, or other insurance depending on the situation.

SERVICE AREA - The area where a health plan accepts members. For plans that require you to use their doctors and hospitals, it is also the area where services are provided. The plan may disenroll you if you move out of the plan’s service area.

SERVICE CATEGORY - A general description of the types of services provided under the service and/or the characteristics that define the service category.

SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) - A federally-funded program in each state that answers questions about Medicare free of charge.

SIGNIFICANT BREAK IN COVERAGE - Generally, a significant break in coverage is a period of 63 consecutive days during which an individual has no creditable coverage. In some states, the period is longer if the individual’s coverage is provided through an insurance policy or HMO. Days in a waiting period during which you had no other health coverage cannot be counted toward determining a significant break in coverage.

SKILLED CARE - Medically reasonable and necessary care performed by a skilled nurse or therapist. If a home health aide (someone who provides help with daily living activities, such as bathing and eating) or other person can perform the service, it is not considered "skilled care." Skilled nursing includes care from Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Skilled therapy includes care from licensed physical, occupational and speech therapists.

SKILLED NURSING FACILITY (SNF) -  A nursing facility with the staff and equipment to give skilled nursing care and/or skilled rehabilitation services and other related health services.

SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD (SEP)- A period of time, triggered by specific circumstances, during which you can enroll in Medicare Part B or Part D without having to pay a premium penalty. Under Part B, your SEP begins the month after employment or group health coverage ends (whichever comes first). Under Part D, you are eligible for an SEP if you lose—through no fault of your own—any type of drug coverage that was considered "creditable."

SPECIAL NEEDS PLAN - A special type of plan that provides more focused health care for specific groups of people, such as those who have both Medicare and Medicaid, who reside in a nursing home, or who have certain chronic medical conditions.

SPECIALIST - A doctor who treats only certain parts of the body, certain health problems, or certain age groups. For example, some doctors treat only heart problems.

SPECIFIED LOW-INCOME MEDICARE BENEFICIARY PROGRAM (SLMB) - Federal program administered by each state's Medicaid program that pays the Part B premium for people with Medicare with low incomes.

STATE HEALTH INSURANCE ASSISTANCEROGRAM (SHIP) - A State program that gets money from the federal government to give free local health insurance counseling to people with Medicare.

STATE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT - A state agency that regulates insurance and can provide information about Medigap policies and other private insurance.

SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE - Supplemental insurance fills gaps in Medicare coverage by helping to pay for the portion of health care expenses that Original Medicare does not pay for, such as deductibles and coinsurance. Supplemental insurance includes Medigap plans and retiree insurance from a former employer. Supplemental insurance may offer additional benefits that Medicare does not cover.

WAITING PERIOD - The time between when you sign up for a Medigap or private Medicare health plan and the coverage begins.

Excerpted from:

Medicare Glossary

Medicareinteractive Glossary

May 11, 2009