leave of absence (LOA) days

Period of time (number of days) during which a patient is discharged temporarily from the hospital. This situation can occur when surgery cannot be scheduled right away, a surgical team is not available, or treatment is necessary after diagnostic tests but cannot begin immediately. LOA days also refers to readmission after surgery for follow-up care, when a patient does not need hospital care during the interim period. LOA requires only one bill, and one diagnosis-related group payment is made.

Ledger card

Individual financial account indicating charges, payments, adjustments, and balances owed for services rendered. Also called financial accounting record, financial record , or patient account ledger .

Left unattended

Goods in transit term restricting cover when vehicles are left unattended. Whether a vehicle is left unattended is a question of fact. A vehicle was held to be unattended when its driver was in a shop for 15 minutes quite unable to watch over the vehicle. In Starfire Diamonds v. Angel (1962) 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 213, the Court of Appeal held that a car was left unattended when the driver left his car in a lay-by while urinating behind some bushes 37 yards away. He saw a man on the far side walking away with a suitcase from the car but was not in a position to attempt to frustrate any attack on the vehicle. See ORDINARY MEANING RULE.

Legacy numbers

Prenational provider identifiers such as provider identification numbers (PINs), unique physician identification numbers (UPINs), online survey certification and reporting system numbers (OSCARs), and national supplier clearinghouse numbers (NCSs) for DMERC claims. These were carrier-assigned numbers that every facility, physician, clinic, or organization that rendered services to patients when submitting insurance claims used. These have been replaced with the National Provider Identifiers (NPIs).