Acronym Title Description
AAFP / AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS / The American Academy of Family Physicians(AAFP) is one of the largest national medical organizations, representing 105,900 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students nationwide. Founded in 1947, its mission is to preserve and promote the science and art of family medicine and to ensure high-quality, cost-effective health care for patients of all ages.AAP / AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS / The mission of the American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP) is to attain optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
ACA / AFFORDABLE CARE ACT / The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,most commonly referred to as the Affordable Care Act(ACA)or federal health care reform, is a federal statute passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, it represents the most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The ACA is aimed primarily at decreasing the number of uninsured Americans and reducing the overall costs of health care. It provides a number of mechanisms—including mandates, subsidies, and tax credits—to employers and individuals in order to increase the coverage rate. Additional reforms are aimed at improving healthcare outcomes and streamlining the delivery of health care. The ACA requires insurance companies to cover all applicants and offer the same rates regardless of pre-existing conditions or gender. The Congressional Budget Office projected that the ACA will lower future deficits and Medicare spending. On June 28, 2012, the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of most of the ACA in the case National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius.
ACO / ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATION / An Accountable Care Organization(ACO) is a healthcare organization characterized by a payment and care delivery model that seeks to tie provider reimbursements to quality metrics and reductions in the total cost of care for an assigned population of patients. A group of coordinated health care providers forms an ACO, which then provides care to a group of patients. The ACO may use a range of payment models (capitation, fee-for-service with asymmetric or symmetric shared savings, etc.). The ACO is accountable to the patients and the third-party payer for the quality, appropriateness and efficiency of the health care provided. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an ACO is "an organization of health care providers that agrees to be accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in the traditional fee-for-service program who are assigned to it."
ACP / AMERICIAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS / The American College of Physicians(ACP) is a national organization of internal medicine physicians who specialize in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illnesses in adults. With 130,000 members, ACP is the largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP provides information and advocacy for its members as they practice internal medicine and related subspecialties.
AOA / AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC ASSOCIATION / The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) is the representative member organization for the over 78,000 osteopathic medical physicians (D.O.s) in the United States. The AOA is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and is involved in post-graduate training for osteopathic physicians. The organization promotes public health, encourages academic scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for D.O.s overseeing 18 certifying boards, is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools through its Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, and has federal authority to accredit hospitals and other health care facilities,[4][5][6] through its program, the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program. The AOA has held yearly conventions since its founding in 1897. The AOA also manages DOCARE International, a non-profit charitable organization. The AOA also publishes The DO, a monthly magazine, and the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, a peer reviewed medical journal
BHP / BASIC HEALTH PROGRAM / The Basic Health Program (BHP) offers an alternative coverage vehicle for individuals at the lower end of the income scale who would otherwise be eligible for tax subsidies for coverage in the Exchange. Individuals may be eligible to enroll in a BHP if they have incomes below 200% FPL, are ineligible for Medicaid, are under age 65, and do not have access to affordable employer- or government-sponsored “minimum essential coverage.” As with tax subsidies, lawfully present immigrants with incomes below 139% FPL may qualify for the BHP if they are ineligible for Medicaid coverage. Significantly, if an individual qualifies for the BHP, he or she may not receive tax subsidies for enrollment in a QHP. The BHP must meet minimum standards related to benefits and cost-sharing. It must cover at least the essential health benefits (EHB) that enrollees would have received had they been enrolled in a QHP through the Exchange. The enrollee’s share of the monthly premium cannot exceed what it would have been had the enrollee purchased the second-lowest cost silver plan (referred to as the benchmark plan). Enrollee cost-sharing cannot exceed the equivalent platinum plan for individuals with incomes below 150% FPL, and the equivalent gold plan for individuals with incomes between 150%-200% FPL, which have actuarial values of 94% and 80%, respectively. If offered by a health insurance issuer, BHP plans must have a medical loss ratio greater than 85%.
CAPG / CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIAN GROUPS / The California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG) is the largest association in the country representing physician organizations practicing capitated, coordinated care. CAPG members include more than 160 multi-specialty medical groups and independent practice associations (IPAs) across 20 states. CAPG members provide comprehensive healthcare through coordinated and accountable physician group practices.
CBO / CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE / The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides economic data to Congress.[1] The CBO was created as a nonpartisan agency by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974.
CCIIO / CONSUMER INFORMATION AND INSURANCE OVERSIGHT / The Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) is charged with helping implement many reforms of the ACA. It oversees the implementation of the provisions related to private health insurance. In particular, CCIIO is working with states to establish new Health Insurance Marketplaces. It also works closely with state regulators, consumers, and other stakeholders to ensure the ACA best serves the American people.
CDC / CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL PREVENTION / The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta.[1][2][3] It works to protect public health and safety by providing information to enhance health decisions, and it promotes health through partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. The CDC focus national attention on developing and applying disease prevention and control (especially infectious diseases and foodborne pathogens and other microbial infections), environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, injury prevention and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States. The CDC is the United States' national public health institute and is a founding member of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes.
CDPH / CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH / The California Department of Public Health(CDPH) is charged with protecting and promoting the health status of Californians through programs and policies that use population-wide interventions.
Health care facilities in California are licensed, regulated, inspected, and/or certified by a number of public and private agencies at the state and federal levels, including the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Licensing and Certification Program (L&C) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These agencies have separate -- yet sometimes overlapping -- jurisdictions. L&C is responsible for ensuring health care facilities comply with state laws and regulations. In addition, L&C cooperates with CMS to ensure that facilities accepting Medicare and Medi-Cal (in California, Medicaid is referred to as Medi-Cal) payments meet federal requirements. L&C also oversees the certification of nurse assistants, home health aides, hemodialysis technicians, and the licensing of nursing home administrators.
CHCF / CALIFORNIA HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION / Based in Oakland, California, the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) is anorganization that works “as a catalyst to fulfill the promise of better health care for all Californians” by supporting “ideas and innovations that improve quality, increase efficiency, and lower the costs of care.” The Foundation primarily focuses on health care delivery and finance issues in areas such as enhancing the quality of care for the people with chronic diseases; reducing barriers for affordable health care to the underserved; and promoting transparency and accountability in the health care system. Established in 1996, CHCF has more than $750 million in assets and has paid out more than $500 million to support its programmatic work.
CHIP / CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM / The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)is a federal-state program that provides health care coverage to children in low- and moderate-income families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, originally called the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In some states, CHIP covers parents and pregnant women. Each state offers CHIP coverage, and works closely with its state Medicaid program. If the children qualify for CHIP, the parents wont have to bjy a Market place plan to cover them. Parents can apply for and enroll in Medicaid or CHIP any time of year. There is no limited enrollment period for either Medicaid or CHIP.
CMMI / CENTER FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID INNOVATION / The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (the Innovation Center) was created by Congress via the Affordable Care Act to test innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce program expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care for those individuals who receive Medicare, Medicaid, or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits. The Center has organized its Innovation Models into seven categories, which include 1) Accountable care, 2) Bundled Payments for Care Improvement, 3) Primary Care Transformation, 4) Initiatives focused on the Medicaid and CHIP population, 5) Initiatives focused on Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees, 6) Initiatives to Accelerate the Development and Testing of New Payment and Service Delivery Models and 7) Initiatives to Speed the Adoption of Best Practices
CMS / CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES / Formed in 1977, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer Medicaid (known as Medi-Cal in California), the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and health insurance portability standards. In addition to these programs, CMS has other responsibilities, including the administrative simplification standards from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), quality standards in long-term care facilities (more commonly referred to as nursing homes) through its survey and certification process, and clinical laboratory quality standards under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments.
COBRA / CONSOLIDATED OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONSILIATION ACT OF 1986 / The COBRA Coverage provides certain former employees, retirees, spouses, former spouses and dependent children the right to temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates.
DHCS / CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES / TheCalifornia Department of Health Care Services’ (DHCS) mission is to preserve and improve the health status of all Californians. DHCS works closely with health care professionals, county governments and health plans to provide a health care safety net for California’s low-income and persons with disabilities. DHCS finances and administers a number of individual health care service delivery programs, including the California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal), California Children’s Services program, Child Health and Disability Prevention program and Genetically Handicapped Persons Program. DHCS also helps maintain the financial viability of critical specialized care services, such as burn centers, trauma centers and children’s specialty hospitals. In addition, DHCS funding helps hospitals and clinics located in underserved areas and those serving underserved populations.
DOJ / DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE / The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also referred to as the Justice Department, is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries. The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and is a member of the Cabinet.
EMA / EUROPEAN MEDICINES AGENCY / The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a European Union agency for the evaluation of medicinal products. From 1995 to 2004, the European Medicines Agency was known as the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products, Roughly parallel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but without FDA-style centralization, the European Medicines Agency was set up in 1995 with funding from the European Union and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as indirect subsidy from member states, in an attempt to harmonize (but not replace) the work of existing national medicine regulatory bodies.
EMR / ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD / An Electronic Medical Record (EMR) contains the standard medical and clinical data gathered in one provider’s office. Electronic health records (EHRs) go beyond the data collected in the provider’s office and include a more comprehensive patient history. For example, EHRs are designed to contain and share information from all providers involved in a patient’s care.
EXCHANGE / HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE (CALIFORNIA) / The California Health Benefit Exchange, known as Covered California™ was created to develop an organized marketplace where legal residents of California can buy health coverage that cannot be denied or canceled if an individual is sick or has pre-existing health conditions. All health plans purchased through Covered California must cover a range of services called Essential Health Benefits, and include physician visits, hospitalization, emergency care, maternity care, pediatrics, prescriptions, medical tests, and mental health care. Plans must cover preventive care services like mammograms and colonoscopies with no out-of-pocket cost. All newly sold health plans, whether offered by Covered California or in the private marketplace, will be required to meet these basic requirements. The vision of the California Health Benefit Exchange is to improve the health of all Californians by assuring their access to affordable, high quality care. The mission of the California Health Benefit Exchange is to increase the number of insured Californians, improve health care quality, lower costs, and reduce health disparities through an innovative, competitive marketplace that empowers consumers to choose the health plan and providers that give them the best value.
FDA / FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION / The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), and veterinary products.
FEHBP / FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM / The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) is a system of "managed competition" through which employee health benefits are provided to civilian government employees and annuitants of the United States government. The FEHB program allows some insurance companies, employee associations, and labor unions to market health insurance plans to governmental employees. The program is administered by the United States Office of Personnel Management.
FFE / FEDERALLY FACILITATED EXCHANGE / The Affordable Care Act aims to increase health insurance coverage primarily through a combination of reforms to health insurance and the health insurance market. Critical to these new arrangements is the creation of health insurance exchanges--marketplaces where people can compare and purchase coverage. There will be two main types of insurance exchanges: one for individuals and their families, and one for small businesses and their employees. Whether an exchange is run by a state, by the federal government, or as a partnership between the two, the law mandates that exchanges fulfill five core functions: eligibility, enrollment, plan management, consumer assistance, and financial management.