Medicare carrier, fiscal intermediary (FI), or other contractor such as a durable medical equipment regional carrier (DMERC) that shares some or all of the provider service carrier’s (PSC’s) jurisdiction in which the affiliated contractor performs non-PSC Medicare functions such as claims processing or education.

Under the privacy rule, allows several entities to be treated as a single covered entity. Only one consent is necessary, which binds all of the affiliated entities.

Length of time managed care plan members must wait before receiving benefits. It is an alternative to preexisting condition exclusions seen in insurance plans. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), an affiliation period may not last longer than 2 months or, if a late enrollee, 3 months. It begins on the member’s date of enrollment. If a member changes coverage more than 3 months after the enrollment date, the new plan cannot impose an affiliation period.

As previously stated.

Discharge status of a patient who leaves the hospital before being released by a physician.

Procedure of systematically arranging the accounts receivable, by age, from the date of service.