EEG - Equipment or medical procedure that measures electricity in the brain.

EKG/ECG - Equipment or medical procedure that measures how the heart works.

Eligibility verification - a process through which hospitals determine whether the patient has insurance coverage for the services they will provide.

Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) – this law governs self-insured plans and makes them exempt from many state regulations that govern other insurance plans. ERISA mandates financial standards and other requirements for group insurance plans.

Explanation of Benefits (EOB/EOMB) – the statement sent by the insurance company to the beneficiary listing the services rendered, amount billed, and any insurance payments.  This statement normally includes any amount due from the beneficiary, such as co-insurance, deductibles, and co-payments.

Fiscal Intermediary (FI) - a private company that contracts with Medicare to process Medicare claims.

Guarantor - the individual who either accepts or is legally obligated to take financial responsibility for the hospital bill.  The guarantor may or may not be the patient.

HCFA 1500 - a billing form used by doctors and some hospitals to file insurance claims for medical services.

HCPCS codes - HCFA Common Procedural Coding System.  A coding system used to describe outpatient services and equipment provided to the patient.  HCPCS codes include CPT codes in addition to other codes.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – a federal law that, among other regulations, mandates standards for the security and privacy of patients' health information.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) - an insurance plan that pays for services provided by a specific group of participating providers (doctors and hospitals), at least some of who are a risk for the expense of those services.

Home health agency - an agency that provides medical care to patients in their homes.

Hospice - a group that offers inpatient, outpatient, and home health care for terminally ill patients.

Inpatient (IP) - patients who stay overnight in the hospital.

Insured group name - name of the group or insurance plan that insures the patient (usually an employer).

Insured group number - a number the insurance company uses to identify the group under which the beneficiary is insured.

International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition (Clinical Modification) (ICD-9-CM) - a coding system used to describe the patient’s diseases and/or conditions and the procedures performed to treat them.

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