Community mental health center (CMHC)

Facility that provides comprehensive, ambulatory outpatient mental health day services to individuals residing in a specific locale (catchment area). CMHC is defined in the community Mental Health Centers Act (Section 201), which specifies the services to be provided and requirements for the governance, organization, and operation of the centers. The CMHC Act provides for federal financial assistance for the construction, development, and initial operations of CMHCs and, on an ongoing basis, for the costs of their consultation and education services. Health care services may consist of counseling, education, evaluation, development of skills for daily living, vocational rehabilitation, and short-term stabilization services.

Community Property

A special ownership form requiring that one half of all property earned by a husband or wife during marriage belongs to each. Community property laws do not generally apply to property acquired by gift, by will, or by descent.

Community rating

Method for determining premiums for a managed care health insurance plan wherein the premium is based on the average cost of the actual or anticipated health services used by all subscribers in a certain geographical area. Use of this method helps spread the cost of illness evenly for all subscribers to the insurance plan. Individual characteristics of the insured are not considered. Sometimes called pooled rate. See also pooling.

Community Rating Laws

Community rating laws relate to state regulation of health insurance. Normally, these laws require insurers to charge the same premium for all applicants regardless of age or health. Thus, rather than consider individual risk factors in underwriting a health insurance policy (age, sex, and health status), premiums are calculated on the risk factors of the population as a whole.

Community-based services

Local or regional assistance or support designed to help older people remain independent and in their own homes. This can include senior centers, transportation, delivered meals or congregate meals site, visiting nurses or home health aides, adult day care, and homemaker services.

Commutation

UK: 1. Occurs when an individual, on reaching retirement, exchanges a part of his pension for a tax-free lump sum. In approved final salary schemes the maximum tax-free lump sum permitted is 1.5 times (based on 3/80ths for each year of service) final salary. For approved defined contribution schemes it is 25 per cent of the accumulated pension fund.
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UK: in relation to reinsurance, the termination by mutual agreement of all past, present and future liabilities between the parties to a reinsurance contract, in consideration of a final, usually cash, settlement. May also apply, less commonly, to an insurance contract.
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Payment to discharge an actual or potential liability to make payments in the future.
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MEDICAL,USA,REFERENCE: See: financial settlement.
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The termination of all obligations between the parties to a reinsurance agreement, normally accompanied by a final cash settlement. Commutation may be required by the reinsurance agreement or may be effected by mutual agreement.
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US: Usually refers to the cancellation or dissolution of a reinsurance contract in which there are profits or losses to be allocated.