Glossary

The period of time between the date a patient is admitted into a hospital or other facility as an inpatient, and the date he/she is discharged as an inpatient. The date of admission represents the date of service for the hospitalization and all related services.

A set time each fall when members can change their health or drugs plans or switch to Original Medicare. The Annual Enrollment Period is from October 15 until December 7.

An appeal is something you do if you disagree with our decision to deny a request for coverage of health care services or prescription drugs or payment for services or drugs you already received. You may also make an appeal if you disagree with our decision to stop services that you are receiving. For example, you may ask for an appeal if we don’t pay for a drug, item, or service you think you should be able to receive.

A person who has health care insurance through the Medicare or Medicaid program.

The Federal agency that administers Medicare.

An amount you may be required to pay as your share of the cost for services. Coinsurance is usually a percentage (for example, 20%).

The formal name for “making a complaint” is “filing a grievance.” The complaint process is used for certain types of problems only. This includes problems related to quality of care, waiting times, and the customer service you receive. See also “Grievance,” in this list of definitions.

An amount you may be required to pay as your share of the cost for a medical service or supply, like a doctor’s visit, hospital outpatient visit, or a prescription. A copayment is a set amount, rather than a percentage. For example, you might pay $10 or $20 for a doctor’s visit or prescription.

Cost-sharing refers to amounts that a member has to pay when services are received. Cost-sharing includes any combination of the following three types of payments: (1) any deductible amount a plan may impose before services are covered; (2) any fixed “copayment” amount that a plan requires when a specific service is received; or (3) any “coinsurance” amount, a percentage of the total amount paid for a service, that a plan requires when a specific service is received.

The general term we use in the Evidence of Coverage to mean all of the health care services, drugs, and supplies that are covered by our plans.

The amount you must pay for health care and/or prescriptions before our plans begins to pay.

The process of ending your membership in our plan. Disenrollment may be voluntary (your own choice) or involuntary (not your own choice).

Certain medical equipment that is ordered by your doctor for medical reasons. Examples are walkers, wheelchairs, hospital beds, and certain medical drugs.

A medical emergency is when you, or any other prudent layperson with an average knowledge of health and medicine, believe that you have medical symptoms that require immediate medical attention to prevent loss of life, loss of a limb, or loss of function of a limb. The medical symptoms may be an illness, injury, severe pain, or a medical condition that is quickly getting worse.

Covered services that are: (1) rendered by a provider qualified to furnish emergency services; and (2) needed to treat, evaluate, or stabilize an emergency medical condition.

Evidence of Coverage (EOC) and Disclosure Information: This contract, along with your enrollment form and any other attachments, riders, or other optional coverage selected, which explains your coverage, what we must do, your rights, and what you have to do as a member of our plan.

A Medicare program to help people with limited income and resources pay Medicare prescription drug program costs, such as premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance. This is also known as “Low Income Subsidy” (LIS).

Formulary or Drug List: A list of prescription drugs covered by the plan. The drugs on this list are selected by the plan with the help of doctors and pharmacists. The list includes both brand name and generic drugs.

A type of complaint you make about us or one of our network providers, including a complaint concerning the quality of your care. This type of complaint does not involve coverage or payment disputes.

HMO plans offer a wide range of healthcare services through a network of providers who agree to supply services to members.

When you are first eligible for Medicare, the period of time when you can sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B. For example, if you’re eligible for Medicare when you turn 65, your Initial Enrollment Period is the 7-month period that begins 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65.

This is an amount added to your Medicare Part D monthly premium. You may owe a late enrollment penalty if you go without Part D or creditable prescription drug coverage for any continuous period of 63 days or more after your Initial Enrollment Period is over. The cost of the late enrollment penalty depends on how long you went without Part D or creditable prescription drug coverage.

Medicare program to help people with limited income and resources pay Medicare prescription drug program costs, such as premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance.

The most you will pay for covered services received from network (preferred) providers. After you have reached this limit, you will not have to pay anything when you get covered services from network providers for the rest of the contract year. However, until you reach your combined out-of-pocket amount, you must continue to pay your share of the costs when you seek care from an out-of-network (non-preferred) provider.

A joint Federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with low incomes and limited resources. Medicaid programs vary from state to state, but most health care costs are covered if you qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid.

Services, supplies, or drugs that are needed for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of your medical condition and meet accepted standards of medical practice.

The Federal health insurance program for people 65 years of age or older, some people under age 65 with certain disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (generally those with permanent kidney failure who need dialysis or a kidney transplant). People with Medicare can get their Medicare health coverage through Original Medicare, a PACE plan, or a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Sometimes called Medicare Part C. A plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide you with all your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. A Medicare Advantage Plan can be an HMO, PPO, a Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan, or a Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) plan. When you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare services are covered through the plan, and are not paid for under Original Medicare. In most cases, Medicare Advantage Plans also offer Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage). These plans are called Medicare Advantage Plans with Prescription Drug Coverage. Everyone who has Medicare Part A and Part B is eligible to join any Medicare health plan that is offered in their area, except people with End-Stage Renal Disease (unless certain exceptions apply).

Insurance to help pay for outpatient prescription drugs, vaccines, biologicals, and some supplies not covered by Medicare Part A or Part B.

A person with Medicare who is eligible to get covered services, who has enrolled in our plan and whose enrollment has been confirmed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

A network pharmacy is a pharmacy where members of our plan can get their prescription drug benefits. We call them “network pharmacies” because they contract with our plan. In most cases, your prescriptions are covered only if they are filled at one of our network pharmacies.

“Provider” is the general term we use for doctors, other health care professionals, hospitals, and other health care facilities that are licensed or certified by Medicare and by the State to provide health care services. We call them “network providers” when they have an agreement with our plan to accept our payment as payment in full, and in some cases to coordinate as well as provide covered services to members of our plan. Our plan pays network providers based on the agreements it has with the providers or if the providers agree to provide you with plan-covered services. Network providers may also be referred to as “plan providers.”

In 2019, a new Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period will run from January 1 – March 31 every year. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll have a one-time opportunity to:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan

• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare, Part A and Part B

• Sign up for a stand-alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan (if you return to Original Medicare). Most Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage already. Usually you can’t enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug plan if you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, but there are some situations where you can. Call your Medicare Advantage plan if you have questions.

• Drop your stand-alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan

Original Medicare ("Traditional Medicare" or "Fee-for-Service Medicare"): Original Medicare is offered by the government, and not a private health plan like Medicare Advantage Plans and prescription drug plans. Under Original Medicare, Medicare services are covered by paying doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers payment amounts established by Congress. You can see any doctor, hospital, or other health care provider that accepts Medicare. You must pay the deductible. Medicare pays its share of the Medicare-approved amount, and you pay your share. Original Medicare has two parts: Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) and is available everywhere in the United States.

A pharmacy that doesn’t have a contract with our plan to coordinate or provide covered drugs to members of our plan. As explained in this Evidence of Coverage, most drugs you get from out-of-network pharmacies are not covered by our plan unless certain conditions apply.

A provider or facility with which we have not arranged to coordinate or provide covered services to members of our plan. Out-of-network providers are providers that are not employed, owned, or operated by our plan or are not under contract to deliver covered services to you.

See the definition for “cost-sharing” above. A member’s cost-sharing requirement to pay for a portion of services received is also referred to as the member’s “out-of-pocket” cost requirement.

Are the “activities of daily living (ADLs)” that a person is unable to independently perform because of physical or mental disabilities which require the services of a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) to perform the tasks. The ADL tasks include, but are not limited to, personal self-care (bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, toileting), shopping, transporting, caring for assistance animals, cognitive function and verbal or non-verbal communication. Cognitive assistance may be needed because the mental disability prevents the person from knowing when or how to carry out the task. PCS services for cognitive impairment may include supervising and guiding the person with cues that ensure the person correctly and safely performs the task.

A POS plan is a Medicare Advantage plan that offers flexibility and moderate pricing by comparison in exchange for adhering to some restrictions similar to those imposed by a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plan. A POS plan offers both in-network and some out-of-network options, although the cost-sharing will generally be higher when services are received from out-of-network providers. POS plans often have an annual limit on your out-of-pocket costs for services received from network (preferred) providers and a higher limit on your total combined out-of-pocket costs for services from both in-network (preferred) and out-of-network (non-preferred) providers.

A Preferred Provider Organization plan is a Medicare Advantage Plan that has a network of contracted providers that have agreed to treat plan members for a specified payment amount. A PPO plan must cover all plan benefits whether they are received from network or out-of-network providers. Member cost-sharing will generally be higher when plan benefits are received from out-of-network providers. PPO plans have an annual limit on your out-of-pocket costs for services received from network (preferred) providers and a higher limit on your total combined out-of-pocket costs for services from both in-network (preferred) and out-of-network (non-preferred) providers.

The periodic payment to Medicare, an insurance company, or a health care plan for health or prescription drug coverage.

Approval in advance to get services or certain drugs. Some in-network medical services are covered only if your doctor or other network provider gets “prior authorization” from our plan. Other forms of prior authorization may include: exception requests or coverage determinations.

A written OK from your primary care doctor for you to see a specialist or get certain services. In many Medicare Managed Care Plans, you need to get a referral before you can get care from anyone except your primary care doctor. If you don’t get a referral first, the plan may not pay for your care.

Means any specialty, inpatient, outpatient or laboratory services that are ordered or arranged, but not furnished directly. Certain situations may exist that should be considered referral services for purposes of determining if a physician/group is at substantial financial risk. For example, an MCO may require a physician group/physician to authorize "retroactive" referrals for emergency care received outside the MCO's network. If the physician group/physician's payment from the MCO can be affected by the utilization of emergency care, such as a bonus if emergency referrals are low, then these emergency services are considered referral services and need to be included in the calculation of substantial financial risk. Also, if a physician group contracts with an individual physician or another group to provide services that the initial group cannot provide itself, any services referred to the contracted physician group/physician should be considered referral services.

A geographic area where a health plan accepts members if it limits membership based on where people live. For plans that limit which doctors and hospitals you may use, it’s also generally the area where you can get routine (non-emergency) services. The plan may disenroll you if you permanently move out of the plan’s service area.

A set time when members can change their health or drugs plans or return to Original Medicare. Situations in which you may be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period include: if you move outside the service area, if you move into a nursing home, or if we violate our contract with you.

A special type of Medicare Advantage Plan that provides more focused health care for specific groups of people, such as those who have both Medicare and Medicaid, who reside in a nursing home, or who have certain chronic medical conditions.