In the Medicare program, the amount the physician can bill for a procedure and the maximum amount he or she can collect from the patient when the claim is taken unassigned. Formerly known as maximum allowable actual charge (MAAC) . See limiting charge .

Administrator or supervisor of the medical billing and collections department, which may or may not include diagnostic and procedural coding.

Provider (physician, clinic, group) who submits an insurance claim for reimbursement for services rendered to a patient.

Company that charges a fee for billing patients, collecting on accounts, and submitting insurance claims to insurance plans for physicians and/or suppliers.

Professional practitioner who carries out claims completion, coding, and billing responsibilities in accordance with legal state and federal regulations and third-party payer guidelines. He or she may or may not perform managerial and supervisory functions; also known as an insurance claims processor, medical biller, or reimbursement specialist. Also see medical insurance billing specialist .

Drugs or vaccines made from a live product and used medically to diagnose, prevent, or treat a medical condition (e.g., flu, pneumonia injection).

Personal identification based on a physical characteristic and used for security purposes such as a fingerprint. Sometimes a personal identification number (PIN) may be used with the fingerprint sample to gain access to a computer or other system.

Original record maintained by a governmental entity including states, counties, parishes, cities, and/or boroughs that documents an individual’s birth.

1. Male who genetically fathered a child. 2. Identifies the male who is biologically the parent of an adoptee. Also known as biological father . See biological father .