Physician’s description of the patient’s status and destination at discharge (e.g., discharged to home or self-care [routine discharge], left against medical advice, discharged to another short-term or long-term hospital, expired). These data may be used for quality assurance purposes. Also known as disposition of patient .

Program that gives added payment to hospital facilities that serve an unequally large share of low-income patients. This assists in compensating for lost revenues in serving needy populations. Such facilities receive Medicaid funds if they provide care for a high volume of low-income patients.

Hospital facility with an unequally large share of low-income patients. Under Medicaid, states augment payment to these hospitals. Under a Prospective Payment System, Medicare inpatient hospital payments are also adjusted for this added burden.

In workers’ compensation cases, a medical issue in disagreement or with a difference of opinion, such as an objection to a medical determination made by a treating physician concerning the employee’s medical condition, cause of the condition, or treatment for the condition. Other issues might be the existence, nature, duration, or extent of temporary or permanent disability caused by the employee’s medical condition or the employee’s medical eligibility for rehabilitation services.