A person or group of people who provide medical care or services; for example, doctors and nurses.
Insurance Encyclopedia
Provider complaint and grievance procedure
Method the member of a managed care plan may use for the handling of dissatisfaction and unfair treatment against a provider.
Provider contracting
Process of negotiating and signing an agreement between a managed care plan and provider in which the provider agrees to give medical services to the plan’s members.
provider customer service program (PCSP)
Quality program that all Medicare contractors (fiscal intermediaries and regional carriers) are required to have. Contractors must have tools in place to assist physicians and their staff in understanding and complying with Medicare’s operational processes, policies, and billing procedures.
Provider directory
Reference book for members of a managed care plan that alphabetically lists institutions, freestanding surgical centers, and providers who participate in the plan.
Provider discounts
Reduced fees for medical services that are negotiated with providers who participate in managed care programs.
Provider excess
Specific total stop loss coverage that is extended to a provider instead of a payer or employer.
Provider excess of loss
Reinsurance for providers of health care services under capitation contracts, e.g., coverage limiting financial risk of health care providers for individual patients if the cost of care exceeds a predetermined limit.
Provider fraud
Type of medical insurance fraud that is committed by a provider on a patient’s insurance claims so that he or she can obtain benefits in excess of their medical expenses. Also see individual fraud and fraud.
Provider health plan
See: provider-sponsored organization (PSO).