Fee that is most frequently charged in an area by a specialty group of physicians. The top of this range establishes an overall limitation on the charges that a carrier, which considers prevailing charges in reimbursement, will accept as reasonable for a given service without special justification. In the Medicare program, this factor was previously used in determining payment.

Number of existing cases of a disease or condition in a defined population at a specific time. Calculation: Divide the number of persons with the disease by the total population of the defined group to obtain the prevalence rate of a disease.

Action taken to diminish the onset of disease or an injury such as hand washing, refrigeration of foods, no smoking, little or no alcohol intake, prenatal care, and exercise.
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Elimination of causes of loss.

Health care that focuses on disease prevention and maintaining good health such as annual physical examinations, mammograms, Pap smears, prostate and colorectal cancer screenings, and influenza and pneumonia vaccinations. This includes early diagnosis of disease, identification of individuals who are prone to certain illnesses, counseling, immunizations, regular exercise, avoidance of smoking, prudent diet, correction of congenital anomalies, and screening programs. Also called disease prevention and health management.
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This type of care is best exemplified by routine physical examinations and immunizations. The emphasis is on preventing illnesses before they occur.

Dental care that promotes oral health and prevents oral disease and injury.

Services provided to prevent the occurrence of illness, injury, and disease such as vaccine immunizations, antiseptic measures, regular exercise, routine physical examinations, and screening programs for detection of signs of disorders.

CPT codes (99381-99397 and 99401-99429) used when billing for medical services provided to prevent the occurrence of illness or injury.

Health care to keep an individual healthy or to prevent illness (e.g., Papanicolaou tests, pelvic examinations, influenza shots, screening mammograms).

In the medical field, this relates to a patient who has had prior hospitalization, medical services, or surgery. This information is in a system that is used to check claims before approval is given to the provider of the service.

Method of cost containment that freezes physician and hospital fees to try to curtail inflation.