ACRONYMS

AAHP: American Association of Health Plans
AAMC: Association of American Medical Colleges
AAMC: Association of American Medical Clinics
AAPCC: Adjusted Average Per Capita Cost
AAPS: American Association of Physicians and Surgeons
ABMT: Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant
ACGME: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
ADA: American Dietetic Association; American Dental Association
ADL: Activities of Daily Living
ADR: Adverse Drug Reaction
AFDC: Aid to Families with Dependent Children
AGPA: American Group Practice Association
AHA: American Hospital Association
AHCPR: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (now AHRQ)
AHEC: Area Health Education Center
AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
AMA: American Medical Association
ANA: American Nurses Association
ANHA: American Nursing Homes Association
AOA: American Optometric Association; American Osteopathic Association
APA: Administrative Procedures Act; American Pharmaceutical Association
APC: Ambulatory Payment Classification
APDRG: All Patient Diagnosis Related Groups
APHA: American Public Health Associations
APHA: American Protestant Hospital Association
ASC: Ambulatory Surgical Center
ASH/SG: Assistant Secretary for Health/Surgeon General
ASTHO: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
ATSDR: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
AWP: Average Wholesale Price

BBA: Balanced Budget Act of 1997
BBRA: Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999
BCA: Blue Cross Association
BCBSA: Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
BIPA: Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection
BLS: Bureau of Labor Statistics
BPHC: Bureau of Primary Health Care

CABG: Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
CAD: Coronary Artery Disease
CAH: Critical Access Hospital
CAHPS: Consumer Assessment of Health Plans
CAP: Community Action Program; Community Access Program
CAT: Computerized Axial Tomography
CBO: Congressional Budget Office
CCHP: Consumer Choice Health Plan
CCU: Coronary Care Unit; Critical Care Unit
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CERTs: Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics
CHAMPUS: Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services
CHC: Community Health Center
CHF: Congestive Heart Failure
CHMIS: Community Health Management Information System
CMHC: Community Mental Heath Center
CMI: Case-Mix Index
CME: Continuing Medical Education
CMP: Competitive Medical Plan
CMS: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration, or HCFA)
CNA: Certified Nursing Assistant
COB: Coordination of Benefits
CODA:  Commission on Dental Accreditation
COG: Council of Governments
COLA: Cost of Living Allowance
CON: Certificate of Need
CONQUEST: Computerized Needs-Oriented Quality Measurement Evaluation System
COPC: Community Oriented Primary Care
COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
COPME: Council on Podiatric Medical Education
COTH: Council of Teaching Hospitals
CPA: Certified Public Accountant
CPHA: Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities
CPI: Consumer Price Index
CPI-U: Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers
CPOE: Computerized Physician Order Entry; Computerized Prescription Order Entry
CPR: Customary, Prevailing, and Reasonable; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
CPT: Current Procedural Terminology
CPT-4: Current Procedural Terminology, Fourth Edition
CQuIPS: Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
CRNA: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
CRVS: California Relative Value Studies
CT: Computer Tomographic (scanners)

DD: Developmental Disability
DDS: Doctor of Dental Surgery
DEA: Drug Enforcement Administration
DHHS: Department of Health and Human Services
DMD: Doctor of Dental Medicine
DMEPOS: Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies
DMO: Disease Management Organization
DO: Doctor of Osteopathy
DOD: U.S. Department of Defense
DRG: Diagnosis-Related Group
DSH: Disproportionate Share
DUR: Drug Utilization Review
DVM: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

EBM: Evidence-Based Medicine
ECF: Extended Care Facility
EDI: Electronic Data Interchange
EMS: Emergency Medical Services
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency; Exclusive Provider Arrangement
EPC: Evidence-Based Practice Center
EPSDT: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program
ER: Emergency Room
ERISA: Employee Retirement Income Security Act
ESRD: End Stage Renal Disease
ET: Expenditure Target

FACCT: The Foundation for Accountability
FAH: Federation of American Hospitals
FDA: Food and Drug Administration
FEHBP: Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
FFS: Fee-For-Service
FICA: Federal Insurance Contributions Act
FIM: Functional Independence Measure
FIM-FRG: Functional Independence Measure - Function Related Groups
FMG: Foreign Medical Graduate
FNP: Family Nurse Practitioner
FPL: Federal Poverty Level
FTC: Federal Trade Commission
FTE: Full-Time Equivalent
FQHC: Federally Qualified Health Center
FY: Fiscal Year

GAO: General Accounting Office
GDP: Gross Domestic Product
GHAA: Group Health Association of America
GME: Graduate Medical Education
GP: General Practitioner

HCBS: Home- and Community-based Services
HCFA: Health Care Financing Administration (renamed the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS] in June 2001
HCPCS: HCFA Common Procedure Coding System
HCUP-QIs: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Quality Indicators
HEDIS: Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set
HEW: U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (former name of DHHS)
HHRG: Home Health Resource Group
HHS: Department of Health and Human Services
HIAA: Health Insurance Association of America
HICDA: Health Information, Communication, and Data Agency
HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HIPC: Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperative
HMO: Health Maintenance Organization
HMSA: Health Manpower Shortage Area
HRSA: Health Resources & Services Administration
HSA: Health Systems Agency; Health Service Area
HTA: Health Technology Assessment
HUD: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

IADL: Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
IBNR: Incurred But Not Reported
ICDA: International Classification of Diseases, Adapted
ICD-9-CM: International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, for Clinical Management
ICF: Intermediate Care Facility
ICU: Intensive Care Unit
ICFMR: Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded
IHS: Indian Health Service
IME: Indirect Medical Education
IMG: International Medical Graduate
INS: Immigration and Naturalization Service
IOM: Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences
IPA: Independent Practice Association
IPS: Interim Payment System
ISN: Integrated Services Network

JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association
JCAHO: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

LOS: Length of Stay
LPN: License Practical Nurse
LSC: Life Safety Code
LVN: License Vocational Nurse
LVRS: Lung Volume Reduction Surgery

M+C: Medicare + Choice
MAAC: Maximum Allowable Actual Change
MAF: Medical Assistance Facility
MAP: Medical Audit Program
MB: Market Basket
MCAT: Medical College Admission Test
MCBS: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey
MCH: Maternal and Child Health Program
MCO: Managed Care Organization
MDS: Minimum Data Set
MDS-PAC: Minimum Data Set for Post-Acute Care
MEDLARS: Medical Literature and Analysis Retrieval System
MedPAC: Medical Payment Advisory Commission
MEI: Medicare Economic Index
MEPS: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
MET: Multiple Employer Trust
MEWA: Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement
MMIS: Medical Management Information System
MR: Mentally Retarded
MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MRHFP: Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
MSA: Medical Savings Account; Metropolitan Statistical Areas

NACCHO: National Association of City and County Health Officials
NACo: National Association of Counties
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASHP: National Academy for State Health Policy
NASMD: National Association of State Medical Directors
NCHS: National Center for Health Statistics
NCHSR/HCTA: National Center for Health Services Research/Health Care Technology Assessment
NCQA: National Committee for Quality Assurance
NCVHS: National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics
NGA: National Governors' Association
NGC: National Guideline Clearinghouse(tm)
NHSC: National Health Services Corps
NHII: National Health Information Infrastructure
NHIS: National Hospital Indicators Survey
NHTSA: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
NIH: National Institute of Health
NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health
NIOSH: National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
NKF: National Kidney Foundation
NLM: National Library of Medicine
NP: Nurse Practitioner
NPRM: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
NRHA: National Rural Health Association
NSC: National Security Council

OAA: Old Age Assistance
OASDHI: Old Age Survivors, Disability, and Health Insurance Program
OASH: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
OASIS: Outcome and Assessment Information Set
OBRA: Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
OD: Outpatient Department
ODS: Organized Delivery System
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OIG: Office of Inspector General
OIRH: Office of International and Refugee Health
OMB: Office of Management and Budget
ONDP: Office of National Drug Policy
OPD: Outpatient Department
OPHS: Office of Public Health and Science
OSHA: Occupational Health and Safety Administration
OSTP: Office of Science and Technology Policy

PA: Physician Assistant
PBM: Pharmacy Benefit Manager
PCCM: Primary Care Case Management
PCP: Primary Care Physician
PET: Positron Emission Tomography
PHO: Physician-Hospital Organization
PHS: Public Health Service (part of DHHS; includes AHRQ, CDC and ATSDR, FDA, HRSA, IHS, NIH, SAMHSA)
PMPM: Per Member Per Month
PPA: Preferred Provider Arrangement
PPI: Producer Price Index
PPO: Preferred Provider Organization
PPRC: Physician Payment Review Commission
PPS: Prospective Payment System
PRO: Peer Review Organization
ProPAC: Prospective Payment Assessment Commission
PSN: Provider Sponsored Network
PSO: Provider Sponsored Organization

QALY: Quality Adjusted Life Year
QAPI: Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement Program
QARI: Quality Assurance Reform Initiative
QISMC: Quality Improvement System for Managed Care
QuIC: Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force

RAN: Rural Area Computer Network
RBRVS: Resource-Based Relative Value Scale
RCT: Randomized Clinical Trial/ Randomized Controlled Trial
REGO: Reinventing Government
RHC: Rural Health Clinic
RUC: Relative Value Scale Update Committee
RUG-III: Resource Utilization Groups, Version III
RWJF: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

S&TA: Scientific and Technological Advances
SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SCHIP: State Children's Health Insurance Program
SCIC: Significant Change in Condition
SGR: Sustainable Growth Rate
SNF: Skilled Nursing Facility
SSA: Social Security Administration
SSI: Supplemental Security Income
SSRI: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor

TANF: Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
TPA: Third Party Administrator; Tissue Plasminogen Activator

UNICEF: United Nations Children's Fund
USAID: U.S. Agency for International Development
USP: U.S. Pharmacopeia
USPCC: United States Per Capita Costs
USRDS: United States Renal Data System

VA: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
VIRHN: Vertically Integrated Rural Health Network
VPS: Volume Performance Standard

WHO: World Health Organization

Y2K: Year 2000