Glossary

Glossary and Acronyms
Term Sort descending	Definition
AMBULANCE (AIR OR WATER)	An air or water vehicle specifically designed, equipped, and staffed for life saving and transporting the sick or injured.
AMBULANCE (LAND)	A land vehicle specifically designed, equipped, and staffed for life saving and transporting the sick or injured.
AMBULATORY CARE	All types of health services that do not require an overnight hospital stay.
AMBULATORY CARE SENSITIVE CONDITIONS	ACSC stands for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions. ACSC conditions are medical conditions for which physicians broadly concur that a substantial proportion of cases should not advance to the point were hospitalization is needed if they are treated in a timely fashion with adequate primary care and managed properly on an outpatient basis.
AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER	A place other than a hospital that does outpatient surgery. At an ambulatory (in and out) surgery center, you may stay for only a few hours or for one night.
AMENDMENTS AND CORRECTIONS	In the final privacy rule, an amendment to a record would indicate that the data is in dispute while retaining the original information, while a correction to a record would alter or replace the original record.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR HOMECARE	An industry association for the home care industry, including home IV therapy, home medical services and manufacturers, and home health providers. AAHomecare was created through the merger of the Health Industry Distributors Association's Home Care Division (HIDA Home Care), the Home Health Services and Staffing Association (HHSSA), and the National Association for Medical Equipment Services (NAMES).
AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION	A professional organization for dentists. The ADA maintains a hardcopy dental claim form and the associated claim submission specifications, and also maintains the Current Dental Terminology (CDT ....) medical code set. The ADA and the Dental Content Committee (DeCC), which it hosts, have formal consultative roles under HIPAA.
AMERICAN HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION	An association of health information management professionals. AHIMA sponsors some HIPAA educational seminars.
AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	A health care industry association that represents the concerns of institutional providers. The AHA hosts the NUBC, which has a formal consultative role under HIPAA.