Glossary

A person who gives you support or protects your rights.

Prior to the enactment of the Social Security Independence and Program Improvements Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-296) on August 15, 1994, the Social Security Act required the appointment of an Advisory Council every 4 years to study and review the financial status of the OASDI and Medicare programs. The most recent Advisory Council was appointed on June 9, 1994, and its report on the financial status of the OASDI program was submitted on January 6, 1997. Under the provisions of Public Law 103-296, this is the last Advisory Council to be appointed.

A written document stating how you want medical decisions to be made if you lose the ability to make them for yourself. It may include a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney for health care.

Written ahead of time, a health care advance directive is a written document that says how you want medical decisions to be made if you lose the ability to make decisions for yourself. A health care advance directive may include a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney for health care.

A decision that your Private Fee-for-Service Plan makes on whether or not it will pay for a certain service.

A notice that a doctor or supplier should give a Medicare beneficiary when furnishing an item or service for which Medicare is expected to deny payment.If you do not get an ABN before you get the service from your doctor or supplier, and Medicare does not pay for it, then you probably do not have to pay for it. If the doctor or supplier does give you an ABN that you sign before you get the service, and Medicare does not pay for it, then you will have to pay your doctor or supplier for it. ABN’s only apply if you are in the Original Medicare Plan. They do not apply if you are in a Medicare Managed Care Plan or Private Fee-for-Service Plan.

To be used when billing services rendered at a residential care facility that houses beneficiaries who cannot live alone but who do not need around-the-clock skilled medical services. The facility services do not include a medical component (Program Memo B-98-28).

The doctor responsible for admitting a patient to a hospital or other inpatient health facility.

Code indicating patient's diagnosis at admission.

The date the patient was admitted for inpatient care, outpatient service, or start of care. For an admission notice for hospice care, enter the effective date of election of hospice benefits.