Encounter form

All-encompassing billing form personalized to the practice of the physician. It is considered a financial record source document that is used to record the patient’s diagnosis, any services given to the patient during the current visit, and related service fees. It may be used when a patient submits an insurance claim; also called charge slip, cheat sheet, communicator, fee ticket, multipurpose billing form, patient service slip, routing form, superbill , and transaction slip . See multipurpose billing form and cheat sheet .

Encryption

To assign a code to represent data. This is done for the purpose of security to protect the confidentiality of information. The only key to unlock the data is held by the user who is authorized to receive the data.

Encumbrance

Any outside interest in or right to property founded on legal grounds, such as a mortgage, lien for work and materials, or a right of courtesy. It diminishes the interest of the person owning the property, but does not prevent conveyance of the fee by the owner thereof. Mortgages, taxes, judgments are encumbrances known as liens. Restrictions, easements, reservations are encumbrances though not liens.
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Mortgage, lien, or other charge against a property.

End-of-life planning

Verbal or written information about a Medicare patient’s ability to prepare an advance directive when an injury or illness causes inability of the individual to make health care decisions. It also involves whether or not the physician is willing to follow the individual’s wishes as expressed in an advance directive.

end-stage renal disease (ESRD)

Chronic, advanced kidney disease that needs renal dialysis or a kidney transplant to prevent imminent death. Individuals who have chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis or kidney transplant are considered to have ESRD. To qualify for Medicare coverage, an individual must be fully or currently insured under Social Security or the railroad retirement system or be the dependent of an insured person. Eligibility for Medicare coverage begins with the third month after the beginning of a course of renal dialysis. Coverage may begin sooner if the patient participates in a self-care dialysis training program or receives a kidney transplant without dialysis.