Procedure or test for the early detection of prostate cancer (e.g., digital rectal examination, prostate specific antigen [PSA] blood test).

Blood test, detects marker for adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Design, construction, attachment, and use of artificial limbs or other substitutes to function for missing body parts.

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), any data held by a covered entity or its business associate that identifies an individual and describes his or her health status, age, sex, ethnicity, or other demographical characteristics, whether or not that information is stored or transmitted electronically (see Box P-1 ). Additionally, PHI may include physician-patient interactions and conversations, physician-staff conversations, internal physician-physician conversations, external physician-physician conversations, staff-family communications, staff-staff conversations, physician dictation, and telephones in examination rooms. Sometimes erroneously referred to as private health information or personal health information.Box P-1Protected Health Information in a Medical OfficeIntake formsLaboratory work requestsPhysician-patient conversationsConversations that refer to patients by namePhysician dictation tapesTelephone conversations with patientsEncounter sheetsPhysician’s notesPrescriptionsInsurance claim formsX-raysE-mail messages

Word applied to women who are eligible for Social Security benefits based on federal legislation developed by Senator Prouty.

1. Licensed physician or any qualified health care practitioner who provides health care services to the patient and is legally accountable for establishing patient diagnoses. If a medical doctor, the provider can be the attending, ordering, treating, performing, or referring physician. 2. Organization, institution, or individual that provides health care services to Medicare beneficiaries. Physicians, dentists, pharmacists, ambulatory surgical centers, home health care agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient clinics are some of the service providers covered under Medicare Part B. 3. In a 401(k) defined-contribution pension plan, a financial services company that offers the mutual funds and other investment choices.

Method the member of a managed care plan may use for the handling of dissatisfaction and unfair treatment against a provider.

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.

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.