moderate complexity (MC)

Phrase used to describe a type of medical decision-making when a patient is seen for an E/M service. Medical documentation must consist of multiple diagnoses or management options, a moderate amount of data or complexity of data to be reviewed, and a moderate risk of complications and/or morbidity or mortality.

Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT)

The fundamental concept behind MPT is that the assets in an investment portfolio should not be selected individually, each on their own merits. Rather, it is important to consider how each asset changes in price, relative to how every other asset in the portfolio changes in price. Investing is a trade-off between risk and expected return. In general, assets with higher expected returns are riskier. For a given amount of risk, MPT describes how to select a portfolio with the highest possible expected return. Or, for a given expected return. MPT explains how to select a portfolio with the lowest possible risk (the targeted expected return cannot be more than the highest returning available security, of course, unless negative holdings of assets are possible. MPT is a form of diversification and explains how to find the best possible diversification strategy.

Modification

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), this is a change adopted by the Secretary, through regulation, to a standard or an implementation specification.

Modified

A general term that can be used in many contexts. Generally speaking, this term refers to a premium that has been changed from the normal premium on similar policies.

Modified average-cost method

Under this system of calculating summary measures, the actuarial balance is defined as the difference between the arithmetic means of the annual cost rates and the annual income rates, with an adjustment included to account for the offsets to cost that are due to (1) the starting trust fund balance and (2) interest earned on the trust fund.