Agreement between an insurer, physician, or provider and a managed care plan; between an insurer and a physician or provider; between a managed care plan and a provider or group of providers; between medical or mental health facilities; and between a medical or mental health clinic and a physician or provider to provide medical or mental health services.

Association that bonds hospital facilities and attending medical staff as a network. Also known as physician hospital organization (PHO) . See physician hospital organization (PHO) .

Individual who participates in an accredited education program that is not an approved graduate medical education (GME) program. A medical student is never considered to be an intern or a resident. Medicare does not pay for medical services provided by a student.

Technical vocabulary of the science of medicine used throughout the health care industry.

Act of keying voice-recorded dictation into a final document (medical report).

In workers’ compensation cases, any medical, surgical, chiropractic, and hospital care including nursing, medicines, medical and surgical supplies, crutches, and artificial members that is reasonably necessary to cure or relieve from the effects of the injury.

Process that an insurance company uses to decide, based on the patient’s medical history, whether or not to take his or her application for insurance, whether or not to add a waiting period for preexisting conditions (if the state law allows it), and how much to charge for the insurance plan. The insurance company sets higher premiums for those deemed to be higher medical risks.