A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

centers of excellence

Health care facilities selected to deliver specific services, often exclusively, based on criteria such as experience, outcomes, efficiency and effectiveness.

certificate of need

The requirement that a health care institution obtain permission from an oversight agency before making major changes to its facilities or facility-based services, or before building new facilities.

checklist

A tool increasingly used by physicians in hospitals as a reminder to follow certain steps to reduce hospital-acquired infections or surgical errors.

cherry picking

The practice of insurance companies taking only those businesses or individuals that are good health risks, and avoiding higher health risks. Also called”skimming.”The Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes provisions, such as guaranteed issue and risk...

Children’s Health Insurance Program

A program created by a 1997 law to provide federal matching funds for states to spend on health coverage for uninsured kids. The program is designed to reach uninsured children whose families earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private...