Glossary of Healthcare Terms

The percentage or dollar amount below net asset value at which an entity is sold.

An amount or percentage deducted from the pro rata share of value of 100 percent of an equity interest in a business to reflect the absence of some or all of the powers of control.

The reduction in price demanded by investors as compensation for the perceived difficulty in converting an asset into cash or its equivalents, relative to a similar, more easily converted asset.

A rate of return used to convert a future monetary sum into present value.

An analytical technique that determines the number of discrete periods “until the sum of the discounted cash flow is equal to the initial investment.”

The reduction in value caused by uncertainty.

A subset of clinical quality indicators used to classify patients with regard to either a specific diagnosis or procedure, for example, the number of patients undergoing an elective surgery.

Disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments are a form of additional reimbursement under Medicaid for hospitals that care for a large number of Medicaid and uninsured patients. DSH payments are allotments from the federal government which augment basic Medicaid reimbursement, and under federal law, states are required to supplement disproportionate share hospitals in order to receive this additional Medicaid funding.

Disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments are a form of additional reimbursement under Medicaid for hospitals that care for a large number of Medicaid and uninsured patients. DSH payments are allotments from the federal government which augment basic Medicaid reimbursement, and under federal law, states are required to supplement disproportionate share hospitals in order to receive this additional Medicaid funding.

In the supply chain, a distributor is a company that acts as middleman between the manufacturer and the provider.

D.D.S. and D.M.D. degrees are awarded to candidates after completion of a dental program. D.D.S. and D.M.D. degrees are functionally identical: the scope of practice for D.D.S. and D.M.D. practitioners is the same, and both programs use identical curriculum requirements set by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Those beneficiaries that are eligible for benefits under both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, traditionally consisting of older, poor, costly patients with lower health status

Equipment that serves a medical purpose, can withstand repeated use, is not particularly useful in the absence of injury and illness, and is appropriate for home use. Includes specialized beds, wheelchairs, and prosthetics for home use.

Durable medical equipment (DME) is medical equipment designed to improve the quality of life of patients with illnesses or injuries, and must be able to withstand repeated use; primarily serve a medical purpose; and, generally not be useful to a person lacking an injury or illness.

Submitting drug prescriptions to pharmacies via an electronic system.