1. Amount that a physician usually charges the majority of his or her patients. 2. Either the average fee charged for a specific procedure by all comparable physicians in the same geographical area or the 90th percentile of all the fees charged for a specific procedure by comparable physicians in the same geographical area.

From 1965 a method for determining an approved charge for a specific service for a physician before the implementation of the Medicare Fee Schedule in 1992. The approved charge is the lowest of the following three charges: the physician’s actual charge for the service, the physician’s customary charge for the service, and the charges made by each physician in the same geographical location. Currently, Medicare payment is based on a resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) and not on CPR charges.

Division in a life and health insurance company that provides help to the company’s agents, policyholders, and beneficiaries. Types of service include supplying answers to requests for information, interpreting policy language, answering questions about insurance policy coverage, and making changes requested by the policyholder. This department also sends premium notices and collects premium payments, processes policy loans, dividends, and so on. Also called client service department, policy administration department, policy owner service department, and service and claim department.