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

provider

Any health care professional or institution that renders a health service or provides a health care product. Major providers are hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and nurses.

provider network

Those providers who agree by contract with a health insurance plan to be available for services and products to the plan’s members for agreed upon fees.

public health

The protection and improvement of population health by organized community effort. Public health activities are very broad and include immunization, sanitation, preventive medicine, disease control, education about reducing personal risks, occupational health and...

public option

A government-run health care plan that would be an alternative to the private insurance plans offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or provide a fallback in markets where insurers have pulled out.

purchasing pool

A group of people, businesses or associations who come together to enhance their bargaining power and negotiate lower premiums from health insurance plans than they could on their own, while also pooling risks across sick and healthy individuals.