CEO of your own health:
GLOSSARY

A

Acute

Used to describe an illness that comes on rapidly and typically lasts for a short period of time, like when you have the flu.

Adulting

Acting like a responsible adult. An example would be scheduling your own doctor’s appointment.

Advocate or self-advocate

When it comes to health, being a self-advocate means speaking up and sharing information or your concerns with your doctor. Someone else can also be a health advocate for you.

Allergy

When your immune system reacts negatively to something that typically isn’t harmful. As an example, you can have a food allergy to peanuts.

B

Blood type

Everyone has a blood type. There are four major blood types (type A, type B, type O and type AB). If you’re going to have surgery, it’s important that doctors know your blood type in case you need to receive blood.

C

Care gaps

Interruptions in care. For example, if you don’t have an adult doctor lined up after your pediatrician, you may experience a care gap.

Carrier

Another name for a health insurance company.

CEO of your own health

The practice of showing up as the “boss” of your care. This can mean being proactive with scheduling check-ups, coming prepared to appointments with your questions or making an effort to practice healthy habits.

Chronic

An illness that continues or reoccurs again and again for a long time. Asthma is an example of a chronic condition.

Claim

When you go to the doctor, there is a charge for their service. Typically, they first bill your insurance company. That bill is a claim, or request for payment, submitted by you or your healthcare provider to an insurer (or carrier) to get health items or services paid for.

Condition

This word has many different meanings when it relates to your health. It can be the normal or current state of someone’s health – or can refer to pregnancy, a disease, disorder, illness or injury.

Contagious

A type of disease or illness that can be passed on to another person through direct or indirect contact.

Copay or copayment

A fixed amount you pay for a covered healthcare service after you’ve paid your deductible. These can vary between different services even within the same plan. For example, you may pay a higher copay to see a specialist than you might with your primary care provider.

CT scan or CAT scan

A CT (computed tomography) scan, sometimes called a CAT scan, is a type of X-ray that gives providers a detailed look of what’s going on inside your body.

D

Deductible

The amount you pay for covered healthcare services before your insurance plan starts to pay.

Dependent

If you’re a kid, you’re a dependent on your adult’s health plan. This means you rely on a parent, relative or other caregiver for support and they can add you to their insurance plan.

Diagnosis

The assessment a doctor makes to determine what’s wrong based on evaluation and examination of symptoms, lab results or tests, such as a genetic test.

E

Emergency room (ER)

A hospital area where emergency care services are provided.

G

Genetics

Genetics is the study of how certain physical features and traits can pass from parents to their children through genes. Genes are the “building blocks of life” – the instructions written in DNA that tell cells what to do. They can be passed from parent to child. Some variations in genes cause diseases.

H

Healthcare proxy

An advance directive that gives someone else the authority to make medical decisions for another person.

Healthy habits

Activities and routines that improve your physical, mental or emotional state – such as going for a daily walk or making time for family and friends.

HIPAA

An acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This U.S. federal law set national standards for the protection of sensitive patient health information from unauthorized access or use.

I

In-network

Providers or healthcare facilities that are part of a health insurance plan’s network. You will usually pay less for services from an in-network provider or facility.

Inpatient

When care is provided directly within a hospital or facility, such as a rehabilitation center, where a person may stay overnight.

Insurance

A contract that requires your health insurer to pay some or all of your healthcare costs in exchange for a premium.

Intensive care unit (ICU)

The intensive care unit or ICU is a place in the hospital where people can receive care for very serious illnesses, injuries or surgeries.

M

Magnetic resource imaging (MRI)

Magnetic resource imaging or MRI machines take detailed pictures of the inside of your body so healthcare providers can learn exactly what’s wrong and how to help.

Medicaid

A health insurance program that provides free or low-cost health coverage to some eligible low-income people, families and children, pregnant women and people with disabilities.

Medicare

A federal health insurance program for people 65 years and older and certain younger people with disabilities.

Mental health

The condition of a person’s mental and emotional state. This can also refer to the area of medicine focused on emotional, psychological and social well-being.

N

Nutrition

The process of consuming, digesting, absorbing and utilizing nutrients from food. It encompasses the study of how food impacts our health, growth and development.

O

Open enrollment period

When people are able to enroll in a health insurance plan through their employer, often from November 1 – January 15 each year. You may still be able to enroll outside this period if you experience a certain life event, like starting a new job or having a baby.

Out-of-network

Providers or healthcare facilities that are not part of a health plan’s network. This means that the provider has not signed a contract agreeing to pay the insurer’s negotiated prices. Depending on your plan, out-of-network services may not be covered at all unless in the case of an emergency.

Outpatient

Healthcare services delivered outside of a hospital or other inpatient facility, such as in a person’s home.

P

Pediatrician

A pediatrician is a doctor who specifically takes care of babies, kids and teenagers.

Plan

Related to health insurance, a plan is a benefit that an employer or other group sponsor offers to you to pay for your healthcare services.

Pre-existing condition

A health problem like asthma, diabetes or cancer that you had before the date your healthcare coverage started. Insurance companies can’t deny or increase the cost of your coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

Premium

The amount that you (or a family member) pay for your health insurance every month.

Prescription

A medicine ordered for you by a doctor or other healthcare provider.

Prevention

Activities that can help you stay healthy and prevent illness such as keeping up with routine check-ups and vaccines (immunizations).

Primary care

Healthcare services that cover a range of prevention, wellness and treatment for common illness. You may have a primary care provider who you see regularly for check-ups and other health-related issues.

Privacy

Your right to control who or what has access to your identifiable health information you share with a provider.

Provider

A licensed person or place that provides healthcare services. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists are all examples of healthcare providers.

S

School nurse

A registered nurse who works in a school setting. They’re there to help with acute and chronic health problems and ensure the safety of students.

Second opinion

Medical advice from a provider other than your current doctor. This may help give you more information about a health condition or different options for treatment.

Serious disease

A condition that can cause a significant impact on health, including severe pain, discomfort or disruption to your daily life.

Social worker

Someone trained to do social work, which means they help people and families solve problems, navigate resources and feel better. For example, a social worker may help a family with access to food or housing.

Specialist or specialty

A specialist focuses on a specific area of medicine, or specialty.

Symptoms

Changes in your body, like fever, that indicate something is wrong.

T

Transition of care

The process of shifting from pediatric to adult care. Transition of care can also be used when referring to people transitioning between care settings (e.g., from a hospital to an outpatient center) or between providers.

U

Urgent care

A healthcare facility for care for an illness, injury or medical condition serious enough that you would seek care immediately but not so serious that it requires emergency room care. People often visit here when the need for care is critical and it may be during the hours when your primary care provider is not in the office, such as the weekend.

V

Vaccines

Injections (shots), liquids, pills or nasal sprays that a person can take to teach their immune system how to recognize and fight off harmful germs. They are also called immunizations or vaccinations.

W

Wellness

The state of being in good health and a positive goal to work toward.

X

X-rays

A type of radiation called electromagnetic waves. X-rays create pictures of the inside of your body to help a provider confirm what’s wrong. For example, an x-ray can help a doctor check for a fractured bone.