Independent organization that receives electronically transmitted insurance claims from the physician’s office, performs software edits, routes, and transmits the claims to various insurance carriers. Also see health care clearinghouse.

Minor omission or error in form or content on Medicare Part A or Part B claims, such as missing data items (provider number or date of service). Omissions do not include failure to bill for certain items or services or third-party payer errors.

Insurance policy condition that if a person is eligible and submits a written request for coverage, he or she will not be denied coverage if the policyholder fails to give proper notice to the insurance company because of a clerical error.

1. Person who is the recipient of a professional service. 2. Recipient of health care. 3. Patient. 4. System (software running on a piece of hardware) that initiates the process or requests services in a client/server computing arrangement.

Computer configuration that allows several local area network–based workstations (clients) to share access to a more powerful server computer, as might be used in a health care management plan. Processes are divided between two systems (client and server) that work together to perform a task such as obtaining information from a database.

Outpatient facility that provides medical services by a group of physicians practicing medicine together and assumes health care responsibility for ambulatory patients (e.g., physical therapy for rehabilitative purposes, diagnostic x-rays, laboratory tests, educational services).

Corporation formed by several medical practices with administrative and contracting functions centralized. Physicians’ offices have different locations, but all patient revenue is shared by the group. Sometimes called group practice without walls. See group without walls (GWW).

1. Pertaining to a clinic. 2. Pertaining to direct bedside medical or nursing care. 3. Pertaining to materials or equipment used in the care of a sick person. 4. Experience of students in training. 5. Pertaining to tasks connected with medical practice.