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.

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

To cease working at a company. The employee may be eligible for continuation of health insurance coverage with the group or may take out an individual policy.

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).

Individual health insurance clause that limits the period during which a claimant may file suit against the insurer to collect a disputed claim amount. It also specifies that no lawsuit can be brought against an insurance company until a specific time period after a claim is filed.

Name reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that is legally the business title.

Male who is considered under the law to be the father of a child but may not necessarily be the biological father. Definitions vary by state, but most common is “the man married to the birth mother at the time of birth.” In adoption cases, the legal father is called the father of the adoptee and his rights must be terminated for an adoption to be carried out.

Patient medical record that complies with federal, state, and local laws and a definition developed by each organization based on its needs and what it requires to fulfill its mission. Each organization has its own custom legal health record definition.