A (return to top of page)
After Hours Care - services received in a Physician's
office at times other than regularly scheduled office hours, including days
when the office is normally closed (e.g., holidays or Sundays).
Alcoholism - a Condition
classified as a mental disorder and described in the International
Classification of Diseases, ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) or
the most recent version, as alcohol dependence, abuse or alcoholic psychosis.
Application - all questionnaires and forms
required by Medical Mutual to determine your eligibility and insurability.
B (return to top of page)
Benefit Period - the period of time specified
in the Schedule of Benefits during which Covered Services
are rendered, and benefit maximums, Deductibles,
Coinsurance Limits and Non-PPO Network
Coinsurance Limits are accumulated. The first and/or last
Benefit Periods may be less than 12 months depending on the
Effective Date and the date your coverage terminates.
Billed Charges - Charges for all services and
supplies that the Covered Person has
received from the Provider, whether they are a
Covered Service or not.
Biologically Based Mental Illness - schizophrenia, schizoaffective
disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoia and other
psychotic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder, as
these terms are defined in the most recent edition of the diagnostic and
statistical manual of mental disorders published by the American psychiatric
association.
Birth Year - a 12 month rolling year beginning on the individual's birth
date.
C (return to top of page)
Certificate - a document that contains the
coverage details
Certificate Holder - an eligible employee
or participant of the Group who has enrolled for coverage under the terms and
conditions of the Group Contract.
Charges - the Provider's
list of charges for services and supplies before
any adjustments for discounts, allowances, incentives or settlements. For a
Contracting Hospital in the State of Ohio,
charges are the master charge list uniformly applicable to all
payors before any discounts, allowances, incentives or settlements.
Coinsurance - a percentage of the
Lesser Amount for Contracting
Institutional Providers and
Physicians and Other
Professional Providers or a percentage of the
Non-Contracting Amount for Non-Contracting
Institutional Providers
for which you are responsible after you have met your Deductible
or paid your Copayment.
Coinsurance Limit - a specified dollar amount of Coinsurance
expense Incurred in a Benefit Period by a
Covered Person for Covered Services
received from a PPO Network Provider.
Condition - an injury, ailment, disease, illness
or disorder.
Contraceptives - oral, injectable, implantable or transdermal patches
for birth control.
Contract - the agreement between Medical Mutual and
your Group referred to as the Group Contract.
The Contract includes the Group
Application, individual Applications
of the Certificate Holders, this
Certificate, Schedules of Benefits and any Riders or
addenda.
Contracting - the status of a Hospital
or Other Facility Provider:
-
that has an agreement with Medical Mutual
about payment for Covered Services; or
Copayment - a dollar amount, if specified in the
Schedule of Benefits, that you may or may not be required to pay at the time
Covered Services are rendered.
Covered Charges - the Billed
Charges for Covered Services,
except that Medical Mutual reserves the right to limit the amount of
Covered Charges for Covered Services provided by a
Non-Contracting Institutional
Provider to the Non-Contracting
Amount determined as payable by Medical Mutual.
Covered Person - the Certificate
Holder, and if family coverage is in force, the
Certificate Holder's Eligible Dependent(s) as defined in the
Eligibility section of this Certificate.
Covered Service - a Provider's
service or supply as described in this Certificate for which Medical Mutual
will provide benefits, as listed in the Schedule of Benefits.
Creditable Coverage - coverage of an
individual under any of the following:
-
a group health plan, including church and
governmental plans;
-
health insurance coverage;
-
Part A or Part B of Title XVIII of the
Social Security Act (Medicare);
-
the health plan for active military
personnel, including TRICARE;
-
the Indian Health Service or other tribal
organization program;
-
a state health benefits risk pool;
-
the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Program;
-
a public health plan as defined in federal
regulations;
-
a health benefit plan under section 5 (c)
of the Peace Corps Act; or
-
any other plan which provides
comprehensive Hospital, medical and surgical
services.
Custodial Care - care that does not require
the constant supervision of skilled medical personnel to assist the patient in
meeting his or her activities of daily living. Custodial
Care is care which can be taught to and administered by a lay
person and includes but is not limited to:
-
administration of medication which can be
self-administered or administered by a lay person; or
-
help in walking, bathing, dressing,
feeding or the preparation of special diets.
Custodial Care does not include care
provided for its therapeutic value in the treatment of a Condition.
Custodian - a person who, by court order, has custody of a child.
D (return to top of page)
Deductible - an amount, usually stated in
dollars, for which you are responsible each Benefit Period before Medical
Mutual will start to provide benefits.
Drug Abuse - a Condition classified as a mental
disorder and described in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth
Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) or the most recent version, as drug
dependence abuse or drug psychosis.
E (return to top of page)
Effective Date - 12:01 a.m. on the date when
your coverage begins, as determined by your Group and Medical Mutual.
Emergency - an accidental traumatic bodily injury
or other medical Condition that arises suddenly and unexpectedly and manifests
itself by acute symptoms of such severity, including severe pain, that the
absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected by a
prudent layperson who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine to:
-
place an individual's health in serious
jeopardy, or with respect to a pregnant woman, the health of the woman or her
unborn child;
-
result in serious impairment to the
individual's bodily functions; or
-
result in serious dysfunction of a bodily
organ or part of the individual.
Emergency Admission - an Inpatient admission
to a Hospital directly from a
Hospital emergency room.
Emergency Care - Covered Services that are
furnished by a Provider within the
Provider's license and as otherwise authorized by law that are
needed to evaluate or Stabilize an individual
in an emergency.
Emergency Services - a medical screening examination as required by
Federal Law that is within the capability of the emergency
Department of the Hospital, including ancillary
services routinely available to the emergency Department
to evaluate an emergency medical Condition; and
further medical examination and treatment that are required to Stabilize
an emergency medical Condition and within the
capabilities of the staff and facilities available at the Hospital,
including any trauma or burn center at the Hospital.
Excess Charges - the amount of Billed Charges
in excess of the covered Traditional Amount
or Non-Contracting Amount determined
payable by Medical Mutual for a Non-Contracting
Institutional Provider, a
Non-Participating Physician or
Other Professional Provider.
Experimental or Investigational Drug, Device,
Medical Treatment or Procedure - a drug, device, medical
treatment or procedure is Experimental or Investigational:
-
if the drug or device cannot be lawfully
marketed without approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and approval
for marketing has not been given at the time the drug or device is furnished;
-
if reliable evidence shows that the drug,
device, medical treatment or procedure is the subject of on-going phase I, II
or III clinical trials or is under study to determine maximum tolerated dose,
toxicity, safety, efficacy, or efficacy as compared with the standard means of
treatment or diagnosis; or
-
if reliable evidence shows that the
consensus of opinion among experts regarding the drug, device, medical
treatment or procedure is that further studies or clinical trials are necessary
to determine its maximum tolerated dose, toxicity, safety, efficacy or efficacy
as compared with the standard means of treatment or diagnosis.
Reliable evidence means only published reports and articles in the
authoritative medical and scientific literature; the written protocol or
protocols used by the treating facility or the protocol(s) of another facility
studying substantially the same drug, device, medical treatment or procedure;
or the written informed consent used by the treating facility or by another
facility studying substantially the same drug, device, medical treatment or
procedure. Determination will be made by Medical Mutual at its sole discretion
and will be final and conclusive.
F (return to top of page)
Federally Eligible Individual –
-
an individual who has had an 18 month
period of Creditable Coverage with
final coverage through a group plan, governmental plan or church plan.
Coverage, after which there was a break of more than 63 days does not count in
the period of Creditable Coverage.
Creditable Coverage will be counted based on the standard
method without regard to specific benefits;
-
an individual who must apply within 63
days of the end of the termination date of your coverage under the group
policy;
-
an individual must not be eligible for
coverage under a group health plan, Medicare or
Medicaid;
-
an individual must not have other health
insurance coverage;
-
an individual whose most recent prior
coverage has not been terminated for nonpayment of premium or fraud; and
-
if the individual elected COBRA coverage
or Ohio extension of benefits coverage, the individual must exhaust all such
continuation coverage to become a Federally
Eligible Individual. Termination for non-payment of
premium does not constitute exhausting such coverage.
Full-time Student - an Eligible Dependent who is enrolled at an
accredited institution of higher learning. It must be certified annually that
the student meets the institution's requirements for full-time status.
H (return to top of page)
Hospital - an Institution
that meets the specifications of Chapter 3727 of the Ohio Revised Code, except
for the requirement that such Institution be
operated within the state of Ohio.
I (return to top of page)
Immediate Family - the Certificate Holder and the
Certificate Holder's spouse, parents, stepparents,
grandparents, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters,
children and stepchildren by blood, marriage or adoption.
Incurred - rendered to you by a Provider.
All services rendered by the Institutional
Provider during an Inpatient admission
prior to termination of coverage are considered to be Incurred
on the date of admission.
Inpatient - a Covered Person
who receives care as a registered bed patient in a Hospital
or Other Facility Provider where a
room and board charge is made.
Institution (Institutional) - a
Hospital or Other Facility Provider.
L (return to top of page)
Legal Guardian - an individual who is either the natural guardian of a
child or who was appointed a guardian of a child in a legal proceeding by a
court having the appropriate jurisdiction.
Lesser Amount - for Contracting and
Participating Providers, the
Lesser Amount means the Lesser of the Negotiated Amount
or the Covered Charges. For
Non-Participating Physicians and
Other Professional Providers,
the Lesser Amount means the lesser of the Billed Charges
or Traditional Amount. For
Non-Contracting Institutional
Providers, the Lesser Amount means the
Non-Contracting Amount.
M (return to top of page)
Medical Care - professional services received from a Physician
or an Other Professional Provider
to treat a Condition.
Medically Necessary (or Medical Necessity)
- a service, supply and/or Prescription Drug
that is required to diagnose or treat a Condition and which Medical Mutual
determines is:
-
not primarily for your convenience or the
convenience of a Provider; and
-
the most appropriate supply or level of
service which can be safely provided to you. When applied to the care of an
Inpatient, this means that your medical symptoms or Condition
require that the services cannot be safely or adequately provided to you as an
Outpatient. When applied to Prescription
Drugs, this means the Prescription Drug
is cost effective compared to alternative Prescription
Drugs which will produce comparable effective clinical results.
Medicare - the program of health care for the aged
and disabled established by Title XVIII of the Social Security Act of 1965, as
amended.
Medicare Approved - the status of a Provider
that is certified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services
to receive payment under Medicare.
Mental Illness - a Condition classified as a
mental disorder in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth
Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) or the most recent version,
excluding Drug Abuse and Alcoholism
and excluding Biologically Based Mental Illness.
N (return to top of page)
Negotiated Amount - the amount the Provider
has agreed with Medical Mutual to accept as payment in full for Covered
Services.
The Negotiated Amount for
Institutional Providers does not
include adjustments and/or settlement due to prompt payment discounts,
guaranteed discount corridor provisions, maximum charge increase limitation
violations or any settlement, incentive, allowance or adjustment that does not
accrue to a specific claim.
The Negotiated Amount for
Prescription Drugs does not include any share of formulary
reimbursement savings, volume based credits or refunds or discount guarantees.
The Negotiated Amount for Contracting
Institutional Providers may
exceed the Covered Charges.
The Negotiated Amount for
Participating Physicians and
Other Professional Providers does not include any performance
withhold adjustments.
In certain circumstances, Medical Mutual may have an agreement or arrangement
with a vendor who purchases the services, supplies or products from the
Provider instead of Medical Mutual contracting directly with
the Provider itself. In these circumstances, the
Negotiated Amount will be based upon the agreement or
arrangement Medical Mutual has with the vendor and not upon the vendor's actual
negotiated price with the Provider, subject to
the further conditions and limitations set forth herein.
Non-Contracting - the status of a
Hospital or Other Facility Provider
that does not meet the definition of a Contracting Institutional Provider.
Non-Contracting Amount - the maximum amount determined as payable and
allowed by Medical Mutual for a Covered Service provided by a
Non-Contracting Institutional
Provider.
Non-Covered Charges - Billed Charges
for services and supplies that are not Covered Services.
Non-Participating - the status of a
Physician or Other
Professional Provider that does not have an agreement with
Medical Mutual about payment for Covered Services.
Non-PPO Network Coinsurance - a
percentage of the Lesser Amount for Non-PPO
Network Providers {or the Covered Charges
for Non-Contracting Institutional
Providers for which you are responsible after
you have met your Deductible or paid your
Copayment, if applicable.
Non-PPO Network Coinsurance Limit - a specified dollar amount of Non-PPO
Network Coinsurance expense for which you are
responsible in each Benefit Period.
Non-PPO Network Deductible - an amount, usually stated in dollars, for
which you are responsible each Benefit Period
before Medical Mutual will start to provide benefits for services received from
a Non-PPO Network Provider.
Non-PPO Network Provider - a Physician
or Other Professional Provider,
Contracting Hospital or Contracting
Other Facility Provider, Home Health Care Agency or HospiceProvider
that is not designated by Medical Mutual as a PPO
Network Provider.
O (return to top of page)
Office Visit - Office visits include medical visits or Outpatient
consultations in a Physician's office or
patient's residence. A Physician's office can
be defined as a medical/office building, Outpatient
department of a Hospital, freestanding clinic
facility or a Hospital based Outpatient
clinic facility.
Other Facility Provider - the
following Institutions that are licensed,
when required, and where Covered Services are rendered which require
compensation from their patients. Other than incidentally, these facilities are
not used as offices or clinics for the private practice of a Physician
or Other Professional Provider.
Medical Mutual will only provide benefits for services or supplies for which a
charge is made. Only the following Institutions
which are defined below are considered to be Other
Facility Providers:
-
Alcoholism Treatment
Facility - a facility that mainly provides detoxification and/or
rehabilitation treatment for Alcoholism.
-
Ambulatory Surgical Facility - a
facility with an organized staff of Physicians that
has permanent facilities and equipment for the primary purpose of performing
surgical procedures strictly on an Outpatient basis.
Treatment must be provided by or under the supervision of a Physician
and also includes nursing services.
-
Day/Night Psychiatric Facility - a
facility that is primarily engaged in providing diagnostic services and
therapeutic services for the Outpatient treatment
of Mental Illness and Biologically Based
Mental Illness. These services are provided through either a day or
night treatment program.
-
Dialysis Facility - a facility that
mainly provides dialysis treatment, maintenance or training to patients on an
Outpatient or home care basis.
-
Drug Abuse Treatment
Facility - a facility that mainly provides detoxification and/or
rehabilitation treatment for Drug Abuse.
-
Home Health Care Agency - a
facility that meets the specifications of Chapter 3701.88 of the Ohio Revised
Code, except for the requirement that such Institution
be operated within the state of Ohio and which provides nursing and other
services as specified in the Home Health Care Services section of the
Certificate. A Home Health Care Agency is responsible for
supervising the delivery of such services under a plan prescribed and approved
in writing by the attending Physician.
-
Hospice Facility - a facility that
provides supportive care for terminally ill patients as specified in the
Hospice Services section of this Certificate.
-
Psychiatric Facility - a facility
that is primarily engaged in providing diagnostic services and therapeutic
services for the treatment of Mental Illness
and Biologically Based Mental Illness on an
Outpatient basis.
-
Psychiatric Hospital - a facility
that is primarily engaged in providing diagnostic services and therapeutic
services for the treatment of Mental Illness
and Biologically Based Mental Illness on an
Inpatient basis. Such services must be provided by or under the
supervision of an organized staff of Physicians.
Continuous nursing services must be provided under the supervision of a
registered nurse.
-
Skilled Nursing Facility - a
facility that primarily provides 24-hour Inpatient
Skilled Care and related services to patients
requiring convalescent and rehabilitative care. Such care must be provided by
either a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or physical therapist
performing under the supervision of a Physician.
Other Professional Provider -
only the following persons or entities which are licensed as required:
-
advanced nurse practitioner (A.N.P.);
-
doctor of chiropractic medicine;
-
durable medical equipment or prosthetic
appliance vendor;
-
licensed independent social workers
(L.I.S.W.);
-
licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.);
-
licensed professional clinical counselor;
-
licensed professional counselor;
-
licensed vocational nurse (L.V.N.);
-
mechanotherapist (licensed or certified
prior to November 3, 1975);
-
registered nurse anesthetist; and
Outpatient - the status of a Covered Person
who receives services or supplies through a Hospital,
Other Facility Provider,
Physician or Other
Professional Provider while not confined as an Inpatient.
P (return to top of page)
Participating - the status of a Physician or
Other Professional Provider that has an agreement with Medical
Mutual about payment for Covered Services.
Pharmacy - an Other
Professional Provider that is a licensed establishment where
Prescription Drugs are dispensed by a pharmacist licensed under
applicable state law.}
Physician - a person who is licensed and legally
authorized to practice medicine.
PPO Network Deductible - an amount, usually stated in dollars, for which
you are responsible each Benefit Period before
Medical Mutual will start to provide benefits, for services received from a PPO
Network Provider.
PPO Network Provider - a Physician,
Other Professional Provider,
Contracting Hospital or Contracting
Other Facility Provider that is included in a limited panel of
Providers as designated by Medical Mutual and for which the greatest benefit
will be payable when one of these Providers is used.
Prescription Drug (Federal Legend Drug) -
any medication that by federal or state law may not be dispensed without a
Prescription Order.
Prescription Order - the request for medication by a Physician
appropriately licensed to make such a request in the ordinary course of
professional practice.
Professional Charges - The cost of a Physician
or Other Professional Provider's
services before the application of the Negotiated Amount.
Provider - a Hospital,
Other Facility Provider,
Physician or Other
Professional Provider.
Psychologist - an
Other Professional Provider who is a licensed Psychologist
having either a doctorate in psychology or a minimum of five years of clinical
experience. In states where there is no licensure law, the Psychologist must be
certified by the appropriate professional body.
R (return to top of page)
Residential Treatment Facility
-
A facility that provides care on a 24 hour
a day, 7 days a week, live-in basis for the evaluation and treatment of
residents with psychiatric or chemical dependency disorders.
-
The facility provides room and board as
well as providing an individual treatment plan for the chemical, psychological
and social needs of each of its residents.
-
The facility meets all regional, state and
federal licensing requirements.
-
The residential care treatment program is
supervised by a professional staff of qualified Physician(s),
licensed nurses, counselors and social workers.
-
Residents do not require care in an acute
or more intensive medical setting.
Rider - a document that amends or supplements your coverage.
Routine Services - Services not considered Medically
Necessary.
S (return to top of page)
Skilled Care - care that requires the skill,
knowledge or training of a Physician or a:
-
licensed practical nurse; or
performing under the supervision of a Physician.
In the absence of such care, the Covered Person's
health would be seriously impaired. Such care cannot be taught to or
administered by a lay person.
Stabilize - the provision of medical treatment to
you in an emergency as may be necessary to
assure, within reasonable medical probability, that material deterioration of
your Condition is not likely to result from or
during any of the following:
-
your transfer from an emergency
department or other care setting to another facility; or
Surgery
-
the performance of generally accepted
operative and other invasive procedures;
-
the correction of fractures and
dislocations;
-
usual and related preoperative and
postoperative care; or
-
other procedures as reasonably approved by
Medical Mutual.
T (return to top of page)
Traditional Amount - the maximum amount
determined and allowed by Medical Mutual for a Covered
Service provided by a Physician
or Other Professional Provider
based on factors, including the following:
-
the actual amount billed by a
Provider for a given service
-
Center for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS)'s Resource Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS)
-
geographic considerations; and
-
other economic and statistical indicators
and applicable conversion factors.
Transplant Center - a facility approved by Medical Mutual that is an
integral part of a Hospital and that:
-
has consistent, fair and practical
criteria for selecting patients for transplants;
-
has a written agreement with an
organization that is legally authorized to obtain donor organs; and
-
complies with all federal and state laws
and regulations that apply to transplants covered under the Certificate.
U (return to top of page)
United States - all the states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin
Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Urgent Care Provider - an Other
Professional Provider that performs services for health
problems that require immediate medical attention which are not Emergencies.