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Illinois Insurance Facts
Acronyms for Life, Accident & Health Insurance and Managed Care

Revised November 2002
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The following is a list of acronyms commonly used in relation to life, accident and health insurance.

Acronym
Title
ACD Accidental Death Benefit
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act (Federal Act)
AD & D Accidental Death and Dismemberment
ADB Accelerated Death Benefit
ADEA Age Discrimination in Employment Act (Federal Act)
ADL Activities of Daily Living
ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution
APL Automatic Premium Loan
APS Attending Physician's Statement
ART Annually Renewable Term (Also YRT - yearly renewable term) Life Insurance
ASO Administrative Services Only
Cap Capitation
CFA Certified Financial Analyst
CFP Certified Financial Planner
CHAMPUS Health Insurance Program for Military Personnel (Now TRICARE) (Federal Program)
CHIP Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (State Agency)
CLU Chartered Life Underwriter
CMS Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services (Was HCFA) (Federal Agency)
COB Coordination of Benefits
COC Certificate of Coverage
COLA Cost-Of-Living Adjustment
COBRA Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (Federal Act)
CPI Consumer Price Index
CPT Current Procedural Terminology (Procedure Codes)
CSO Commissioners Standard Ordinary (Mortality Tables)
DME Durable Medical Equipment
DO Doctor of Osteopath
DOB Date of Birth
DOS Date of Service
DOL U.S. Department of Labor (Federal Agency)
DRGs Diagnostic Related Groups
DX Diagnosis Code
EAP Employee Assistance Program
EFT Electronic Funds Transfer
EOB Explanation of Benefits
EOI Evidence of Insurability
EOMB Explanation of Medicare Benefits
EPO Exclusive Provider Organization
ERISA Employee Retirement Income Security Act (Federal Act)
ESRD End Stage Renal Disease
FCRA Fair Credit Reporting Act (Federal Act)
FEHBP Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
FMLA Family Medical Leave Act (Federal Act)
FPDA Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity
GI Guaranteed Insurability Benefit (Life)
GLBA Gramm-Leach Bliley (Financial Modernization Act) (Federal Act)
GUL Group Universal Life Insurance
HCFA Health Care Financing Administration (Now CMS) (Federal Agency)
HCFA-1500 Standardized Physician Billing Form
HIAA Health Insurance Association of America
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (Federal Act and State Law)
HIPAA CHIP CHIP plan for uninsurable people at termination of continuation coverage whether it be Illinois continuation or COBRA
HMO Health Maintenance Organization
ILAHP Illinois Association of Health Plans
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (Federal Act)
ICD-9 International Classification of Diseases (Diagnosis codes)
IME Independent Medical Exam
IRA Individual Retirement Account
IPA Independent Practice Association
JCAHO Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
KIDCARE Illinois Program for insuring certain children and expectant mothers
LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker
LHSO Limited Health Service Organization
LTC Long Term Care
MCO Managed Care Organization
MSN Medicare Summary Notice
Medigap Medicare Supplement Insurance
Medsupp Medicare Supplement Insurance
MET Multiple Employer Trust
MEWA Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement
MIB Medical Information Bureau
MIS Management Information Systems
MSA Medical Savings Account
MSP Medicare Second Payer
NAIC National Association of Insurance Commissioners
NAMCR National Association of Managed Care Regulators
NCQA National Committee for Quality Assurance
NICB National Insurance Crime Bureau
Non-par Non-participating Provider
OBRA Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
OCHI Office of Consumer Health Insurance
OPM Office of Personnel Management (Federal employee benefits)
OTC Over the Counter
Par Participating Provider
PCP Primary Care Physician
PFFS Private Fee For Service (An alternative form of Medicare)
POA Power of Attorney
PHO Physician Hospital Organization
PMPM Per Member Per Month
POS Point of Service
PPA Preferred Provider Arrangement
PPO Preferred Provider Organization
PWBA Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (Federal Agency)
QA Quality Assurance
QMB Qualified Medicare Beneficiary
QMCSO Qualified Medical Child Support Order
RBC Risk Based Capital
ROC Review Oversight Committee
RTW Return to Work (date for disability coverage)
SEC Securities and Exchange Commission
SEP Simplified Employee Pension
SHIP Senior Health Insurance Program
SNF Skilled Nursing Facility
SPD Summary Plan Description
SPDA Single-Premium Deferred Annuity
SPIA Single-Premium Immediate Annuity
SSDI Social Security Disability Insurance
TPA Third Party Administrator
TPPP Third Party Prescription Program
TRICARE Health insurance program for military personnel (Was called CHAMPUS) (Federal Program)
UB92 Standardized Hospital Billing Form
U & C (R&C) (UCR) Usual and Customary, Reasonable and Customary, Usual Customary and Reasonable
UR Utilization Review
URAC Utilization Review Accreditation Commission
VHSP Voluntary Health Service Plan
VSP Viatical Settlement Provider
WHCRA Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act
WP Waiver of Premium For Disability Benefit
WPHCP Women's Principal Health Care Provider
YTD Year-To-Date
YRT Yearly Renewable Term Insurance (Also ART - annually renewable term ins)

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