Anchor group

Large medical group composed of multispecialists with multidisciplines that under managed care contracts handle the bulk of treatments and referrals of member patients and carry most of the clinical risk. Also called key groups or core groups.

Ancillary

Supplemental health care service required as part of giving other care such as anesthesia, laboratory, pharmacy, and radiology; other than routine hospital services (room, board, medical and nursing services).

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Fees charged for additional services (other than room and board charges), such as x-rays, anesthesia, lab work, etc. The term may also be used to describe the charge made by a pharmacy for prescriptions which exceed the health insurance policy’s maximum allowable cost.

 

Ancillary charge

Fee for an ancillary service that is sometimes billed as an additional service such as anesthesia, laboratory, pharmacy, or radiology charge and which may exceed the managed care plan’s maximum allowable.

Ancillary medical services

1. Supportive professional services other than room, board, and routine hospital services that are incidental to the hospital stay and provided by the facility such as ambulance, anesthesia, blood administration, drugs, laboratory tests, pharmacy, operating room, x-rays, medical, surgical, and central supplies; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; and inhalation therapies. Also called inpatient ancillary services. 2. In a medical office setting, ancillary medical services may consist of diagnostic tests such as x-rays or laboratory tests.

Anesthesia formula

Payment formula is performed by taking the base anesthesia procedure units and adding them to the time reported, as well as units for physical status modifiers, qualifying circumstances, and any other allowed units or charges. This sum is multiplied by a conversion factor.

Anesthesia time

Surgical time period during a procedure in which an anesthesiologist and anesthetist, or both, participate. The elapsed time is documented and begins when the anesthesiologist prepares the patient for the operation and ends when the patient is taken to the hospital recovery room. Also called anesthesia minutes of service.