Formal legal contract that insures an employee against on-the-job injury or illness and provides death benefits to dependents. It pays for medical treatment, physical rehabilitation, permanent disability, and through temporary disability benefits covers lost wages while off the job. Federal and state regulations require that the employer have this coverage and pay the premiums for his or her employees.

Federal and state government-mandated system that requires employers to furnish insurance and cash benefits for employees who suffer work-related injuries, illnesses, or death. Employers pay the insurance premiums. workers’ compensation insurance does not usually cover agricultural employees, interstate railroad employees, employees of small businesses, domestic employees, casual employees, and self-employed individuals. Also called workers’ comp .

Federal entity that administers a federal or state workers’ compensation law such as workers’ compensation commission, industrial commissions, industrial boards, workers’ compensation insurance funds, workers’ compensation courts, and U.S. Department of Labor. Also referred to as state compensation board or commission .

Board that handles workers’ compensation liens and appeals.

r1. Insurance company that writes workers’ compensation insurance under state or federal law. 2. State compensation fund where the state administers the workers’ compensation program. 3. Beneficiary’s employer where the employer is self-insured.

1. Health care industry group that has a formal consultative role under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) legislation (also sponsors Strategic National Implementation Process [SNIP], a workgroup for electronic data interchange that improves health care through electronic commerce). 2. Policy advisory subgroup of the Accreditation Standards Committee X12 that has been involved in creating electronic data interchange standards for insurance billing transactions. Also see policy advisory group.

United Nations specialized agency for health that was established in April 1948. WHO’s objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO’s Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO is governed by 192 Member States through the World Health Assembly. The Health Assembly is composed of representatives from WHO’s member states. The main tasks of the World Health Assembly are to approve the WHO program and the budget for the following biennium and to decide major policy questions. WHO maintains the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) medical code set.