Number with or without an alpha that is assigned to each patient’s health and financial records for internal identification by the provider of health care. This identification number is inserted in Block 26 of the CMS-1500 claim form.
Insurance Encyclopedia
Patient’s bill of rights
Document that lists the rights of patients to assure health care quality and protect consumers and workers in the health care system. Such documents have been created by a number of professional associations (e.g., American Cancer Society, American Hospital Association, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services).
Pattern analysis
Clinical and statistical analysis of data sets. Frequently used end-stage renal dialysis (ESRD) data sets include the Program Management and Medical Information System (PMMIS), United States Renal Data System (USRDS), the core indicators, network files, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services analytical files.
Patterns, models, moulds and designs
Under a material damage policy the liability for loss of such items is limited to the cost of reproducing them. The consequential loss, e.g. loss of market, is not covered unless specially arranged.
Paul vs. Virginia
A decision made by the United States Supreme Court in 1869; the court found that insurance is not considered commerce and therefore not regulated by the federal government. This ruling was reversed in 1944 by the ruling made in the Southeastern Underwriters Association case.
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The U.S. Supreme Court decision (1868) that held that insurance is not commerce; this established the authority of States to regulate insurance.
Pauschal
Marine cargo insurance term (Dutch and German) relating to a provisional annual premium paid in advance.
Pawsey vs. Scottish Union & National (1907)
This case resulted in the classic definition of proximate cause: ‘proximate cause means the active, efficient cause that sets in motion a train of events that leads to a result, without the intervention of a force started and working actively from a new and independent source’.
See Als STRAW CAUSES; LAST CASES; INTERVENING CAUSES; REMOTE CAUSE; CONSECUTIVE CAUSES. CONCURRENT
Pax
Abbreviation of ‘passengers’ as used on aviation slips.
Pay as may be paid
Reinsurance term indicating that the reinsurer will pay without questioning the insurer’s liability under the original insurance.
Pay as paid policy
Livestock policy under which the insurer pays the insured a given percentage of any compensation received from the government as compensation for the compulsory slaughter of their animals to prevent the spread of a disease, e.g. foot-and-mouth.
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A policy on livestock under which insurers agree to pay a supplement of a give percentage of compensation paid for slaughter of stock by the Department of Agriculture when slaughter is ordered to prevent the possible spread of a disease.