Chapter 2 - Health Care Systems

General Hospital

A hospital that treats a wide range of conditions and age groups; usually provide diagnostic, medical, surgical, and emergency care services for acute care

Specialty Hospital

A hospital that provides care for special conditions or age groups

Government Hospital

Operated by government agencies; Provide care for government personnel and their dependents

University Medical Center

Provide hospital services as well as research and education

Long Term Care Facility (LTCF)

Provide assistance and care for elderly patients, individuals with disabilities, or long-term illness

Extended Care Facility

A LTCF that provides skilled nursing or rehabilitative care to patients who are recovering from a major illness/surgery or cancer

Independent and Assisted Living Facility

A LTCF providing services to older individuals while allowing them to live independently

Outpatient Surgical Center

An outpatient facility that performs minor surgical procedures and some cosmetic surgeries

Urgent Care

provide first aid or emergency care to acutely ill or injured patients

Rehabilitation clinics

offer physical, occupational, speech, and other similar therapies

Home Health Care

Designed to provide nursing care, personal care, therapy (physical, occupational, speech, respiratory) and homemaking (food preparation, cleaning, etc) in a patient's home

Hospice

Provides palliative care (care for support and comfort for end of life circumstances) for terminally ill patients

Mental Health Facilities

treat patients who have mental disorders and diseases

Emergency Care Services (EMS)

provide special care for victims of accidents or sudden (acute) illness

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

A division of the USDHHS; Responsible for
medical research on diseases.

medical research on diseases.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS)

a national agency that deals with the health problems in the United States; its goal is to protect the health of all Americans

World Health Organization (WHO)

An agency sponsored by the United Nations that compiles statistic on disease and publishes health information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

division of the USDHHS that is concerned with the causes, spread, and control of diseases in populations

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

A federal agency responsible for regulating food and drug products sold to the public

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Federal agency that establishes and enforces standards to protect workers from job

Premium

a fee the individual pays for insurance coverage

Deductible

Amount that must be paid by the patient for medical services before the policy begins to pay

Co-Insurance

requires that specific percentages of expenses are shared by the patient and insurance company

Co-Payment

A specific amount of money a patient pays for a particular service

Medicare

Federal government program that provides health care for almost all individuals over the age of 65, any person with a disability who has received Social Security benefits for at least 2 years, and for any person with end

Medicaid

medical assistance program that pays for the health care of individuals with low incomes and individuals who are physically disabled or blind

Medigap

a health insurance plan that helps pay medical expenses not covered by Medicare

The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

provides health care to uninsured children of working families who earn too little to afford private insurance but too much to be eligible for Medicaid

TRICARE

A government health insurance plan for all military personnel

Worker's Compensation

a health insurance plan providing treatment for workers injured on the job

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Provides strict guidelines for maintaining confidentiality of health care information

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)

health insurance plan that focuses on prevention of disease; must see providers from an approved list

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)

a health care plan that contracts with health care professionals to provide services at a reduced fee and gives patients financial incentives and flexibility to use network providers