This acronym listing is intended to assist with common terminology but is not all-inclusive.
A |
Assigned (Claim) |
AA |
Anesthesia Assistant (Abbreviation for) |
ABN |
Advanced Beneficiary Notification |
ADA |
American Dental Association |
ADA |
American Diabetes Association |
ALJ |
Administrative Law Judge |
AMA |
American Medical Association |
ANSI |
American National Standards Institute |
ASA |
American Society of Anesthesiologists |
ASC |
Ambulatory Surgical Center |
AWP |
Average Wholesale Price |
BBA |
Balanced Budget Act (of 1997) |
BBRA |
Balanced Budget Refinement Act (of 1999) |
BCBSND |
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota |
BENE |
Beneficiary |
BPO |
Bureau of Program Operations (CMS) |
CAC |
Carrier Advisory Committee |
CAH |
Critical Access Hospital |
CAP |
Competetive Acquisition Program |
CCI |
Correct Coding Initiative |
CCN |
Correspondence Control Number |
CDE |
Certified Diabetic Educators |
CF |
Conversion Factor |
CHAMPUS |
Civilian Health Medical Program of the Uniformed Services |
CLCCP |
Comprehensive Limiting Charge Compliance Program |
CLIA |
Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments of 1988 |
CMD |
Contractor Medical Director |
CMHC |
Community Mental Health Center |
CMN |
Certificate of Medical Necessity |
CMS |
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services |
CNM |
Certified Nurse Midwife |
CNMW |
Certified Nurse Midwife |
CNS |
Clinical Nurse Specialist |
CO |
Central Office (CMS, in Baltimore, MD) |
COB |
Coordination of Benefits |
COBRA |
Consolidation Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 |
CORF |
Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility |
COTS |
Commercial-Off-The-Shelf |
CP |
Clinical Psychologist |
CPO |
Care Plan Oversight |
CPT |
Current Procedural Terminology Codes |
CRD |
Chronic Renal Disease |
CRNA |
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist |
CSW |
Clinical Social Worker |
CWF |
Common Working File |
DC |
Doctor of Chiropractic |
DDS |
Doctor of Dental Surgery |
DEDUCT |
Deductible |
DEFRA |
Deficit Reduction Act |
DHHS |
Department of Health and Human Services |
DHS |
Designated Health Services |
DMD |
Doctor of Medical Dentistry |
DME |
Durable Medical Equipment |
DMERC |
Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier |
DO |
Doctor of Osteopathy |
DOB |
Date of Birth |
DOR |
Date of Receipt |
DOS |
Date of Service |
DP |
Doctor of Podiatry |
DPM |
Doctor of Podiatric Medicine |
DSC |
Doctor of Surgical Chiropody |
DSP |
Doctor of Surgical Podiatry |
DX |
Diagnosis |
ECG |
Electrocardiogram |
EDI |
Electronic Data Interchange |
EFT |
Electronic Funds Transfer |
EGHP |
Employer Group Health Plan |
EI |
Economic Index |
EIN |
Employer Identification Number |
EKG |
Electrocardiogram |
E/M |
Evaluation and Management (visit) |
EMC |
Electronic Media Claim |
EOB |
Explanation of Benefits |
EOMB |
Explanation of Medicare Benefits |
ERA |
Electronic Remittance Advice |
ERP |
Education Recognition Program |
ESRD |
End Stage Renal Disease |
FDA |
Food and Drug Administration |
FFP |
Federal Financial Participation |
FH |
Fair Hearing |
FISS |
Fiscal Intermediary Standard Systems (Part A processing system) |
FMR |
Focused Medical Review |
FOI |
Freedom of Information |
FOIA |
Freedom of Information Act |
FQHC |
Federally Qualified Health Center |
FR |
Federal Register |
FRC |
Federal Records Center |
FY |
Fiscal Year (October 1 - September 30) |
GEHA |
Government Employees Hospital Association |
GPCI |
Geographic Practice Cost Index |
HBP |
Hospital Based Physician |
HCPCS |
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System |
HHA |
Home Health Agency |
HHS |
Health and Human Services (CMS is a branch of) |
HICN |
Health Insurance Claim Number |
HIMR |
Health Insurance Master Record |
HIPAA |
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act |
HMO |
Health Maintenance Organization |
HPSA |
Health Professional Shortage Area |
ICD-9-CM |
International Classification of Disease-Clinical Modification |
ICN |
Internal Control Number |
ICU |
Intensive Care Unit |
IDTF |
Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility |
IIC |
Inflation Index Charge-Customary |
IIP |
Inflation Index Charge-Prevailing |
IL |
Independent Laboratory |
IOM |
Internet Only Manual |
IP |
Independent Psychologist |
IPL |
Independent Physiological Laboratory |
IRS |
Internal Revenue Service |
IVR |
Interactive Voice Response |
LCD |
Local Coverage Determination |
LCER |
Limiting Charge Exception Report |
LFS |
Laboratory Fee Schedule |
LLP |
Limited License Practitioner |
LMRP |
Local Medical Review Policy |
LPN |
Licensed Practical Nurse |
LVN |
Licensed Vocational Nurse |
MCS |
Multi Carrier System |
MD |
Medical Doctor |
MEDPARD |
Medicare Participating Physician/Supplier Directory |
MEI |
Medicare Economic Index |
MFAIC |
Medicare Fraud and Abuse Information Coordinator |
MIA |
Medicare Inpatient Adjudication |
MOA |
Medicare Outpatient Adjudication |
MPFSDB |
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Data Base |
MR |
Medical Review |
MSA |
(Medicare) Medical Savings Account |
MSN |
Medicare Summary Notice |
MSO |
Management Service Organization |
MSP |
Medicare Secondary Payer |
MTS |
Medicare Transaction System |
MVPS |
Medicare Volume Performance Standard |
NA |
Non-assigned (Claim) |
NDAB |
National Diabetes Advisory Board |
NDC |
National Drug Code |
NH |
Nursing Home |
NMW |
Nurse Midwife |
NOBA |
Notice of Budget Authority |
NON-PAR |
Non-participating Provider |
NOOH |
Notice of an Opportunity for a Hearing |
NOS |
Number of Service |
NP |
Nurse Practitioner |
NPI |
National Provider Identifier |
NPRM |
Notice of Public Rule Making |
NSF |
National Standard Format |
NTIS |
National Technical Information Service |
OBRA |
Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act |
OCR |
Optical Character Recognition |
OD |
Doctor of Optometry |
OIG |
Office of Inspector General |
OT |
Occupational Therapist |
PA |
Physician Assistant |
PAR |
Participating Physician |
PAYERID |
Payer Identification (Number) |
PC |
Professional Component |
PDT |
Purchased Diagnostic Test |
PHC |
Public Health Clinic |
PHSA |
Public Health Service Act |
PIN |
Provider Identification Number |
POCI |
Provider Ownership Compensation Interest |
POL |
Physicians Office Lab |
POS |
Place of Service |
POS |
Point of Service Option (for an HMO) |
PPO |
Preferred Provider Organization |
PPR |
Physician Payment Reform |
PPV |
Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccine |
PRO |
Peer Review Organization |
PSO |
Provider Sponsored Organization |
PSYCH |
Psychiatric Services |
PT |
Patient |
PT |
Physical Therapist |
QAP |
Quality Assurance Program |
QC |
Quality Control |
QI |
Qualifying Individuals (Medicaid) |
QIO |
Quality Improvement Organization |
QMB |
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (Medicaid) |
RBRVU |
Resource Based Relative Value Unit |
RA |
Remittance Advice |
RC |
Reasonable Charge |
REMIT |
Remittance Advice |
REP PAYEE |
Representative Payee |
RFB |
Religious Fraternal Benefit Society Plan |
RHC |
Rural Health Clinic |
RHHI |
Regional Home Health Care Intermediary |
RN |
Registered Nurse |
RO |
Regional Office (CMS) |
RPCH |
Rural Primary Care Hospital (now Critical Access Hospital) |
RPT |
Registered Physical Therapist |
RVU |
Relative Value Unit |
SIIS |
Supplemental Insurance Interface System (crossover claim) |
SLMB |
Specified Lower Income Medicare Beneficiary (Medicaid) |
SNF |
Skilled Nursing Facility |
SOS |
Site of Service |
SPEC |
(Provider) Specialty |
SSA |
Social Security Administration |
SSN |
Social Security Number |
TAN |
Treatment Authorization Number |
TAT |
Turn-around-time |
TC |
Technical Component |
TCU |
Transitional Care Unit |
TEFRA |
Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1983 |
TIN |
Taxpayer Identification Number |
TMJ |
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction |
TOS |
Type of Service |
UPIN |
Unique Provider Identification Number |
UR |
Utilization Review |
VA |
Veterans Administration |
WC |
Workers Compensation |
YTD |
Year-to-Date |