Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content

Glossary

Healthcare and health insurance definitions.

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V W

H

Habilitation services :

Healthcare services that help a person keep, learn or improve skills and functioning for daily living. Examples include therapy for a child who isn’t walking or talking at the expected age. These services may include physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and other services for people with disabilities in a variety of inpatient and/or outpatient settings. See ACA Uniform Glossary.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) :

Federal legislation designed to improve the portability of health coverage, reduce healthcare costs by standardizing the processing of healthcare transactions, increase the security and privacy of healthcare information, and to make other changes to the healthcare delivery system.

Health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) :

An IRS-approved, tax-favored benefit that reimburses employees, up to a maximum dollar amount, for qualified medical care expenses not reimbursed by an employer's health plan. HRAs are paid for solely by the employer. Any unused portion of the maximum dollar amount at the end of a coverage period may be carried forward to increase the maximum reimbursement amount in subsequent coverage periods.

Health savings account (HSA) :

A tax-sheltered savings account that may be used by beneficiaries covered by qualified high-deductible health plans to pay for healthcare expenses not covered by their health plan. Money remaining in the account at the end of the year may be used in the following year. Contributions to an individual’s HSA can be made by anyone, including the employer, up to an annual maximum.

Home healthcare :

Healthcare treatment or services that are received at home. See ACA Uniform Glossary

Hospice services :

Services to provide comfort and support for persons in the last stages of a terminal illness and their families. See ACA Uniform Glossary

Hospital outpatient care :

Care in a hospital that usually doesn’t require an overnight stay. See ACA Uniform Glossary

Hospitalization :

Care in a hospital that requires admission as an inpatient and usually requires an overnight stay. An overnight stay for observation could be outpatient care. See ACA Uniform Glossary

HRA :

See health reimbursement arrangement.

HSA :

See health savings account.