AAHSA: American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act – A 1990 Act of Congress providing certain protections to people with disabilities.

ADL: Activities of Daily Life – The most frequent and basic activities of human life, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and ambulation.

ALF: Assisted Living Facility – A facility that typically looks like multifamily. Common meals are shared and general assistance with daily life activities (bills, assistance in administering medications and light dressing) is provided.

ALOS: Average Length of Stay – The average length of time that a patient or resident typically remains in a facility.

ASC: Ambulatory Surgery Center.

ASHA: American Seniors Housing Association.

CCRC: Continuing Care Retirement Communities – This is the most complex and generally the largest elderly housing type. They provide care along a continuum of needs – e.g., independent housing, congregate housing, assisted living, and skilled nursing care may all be offered by a CCRC.

Census: Term used to described current number of beds or units occupied at a healthcare facility, i.e. if the current Census is 109 at a SNF that has 139 beds, the occupancy rate is 78%.

CHOW: Change of Ownership.

CIA: Corporate Integrity Agreement (agreement executed between operators and employees).

CMP: Civil Monetary Penalty.

CMS: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Securities.

CNA: Certified Nursing Assistant.

CON: Certificate of Need – A process used in some states to prevent over saturation of nursing home beds. New facilities must demonstrate a need within the community in order to receive a license to operate.

DOA: Director of Administration (sometimes referred to as ED or Executive Director).

DON: Director of Nursing.

DOPNA: Denial of Payment for New Admissions.

EBITDA / EBITDAR / EBITDARM: Earnings Before Interest, Taxes (Income), Depreciation, Amortization, Rent, Management.

HMO: Health Maintenance Organization – A managed care plan that integrates financing and delivery of a comprehensive set of health care services to an enrolled population.

HUD: Housing and Urban Development.

ILF: Independent Living Facility– A facility that typically looks like multifamily and is age restricted. There may be common meals, entertainment, and active senior life activities. There is no care provided.

LTC: Long Term Care – Ongoing health and social services provided for individuals who need assistance on a continuing basis because of physical or mental disability.

Medicaid: Administered by State Government – State programs of public assistance to persons whose resources are insufficient to pay for medical care.

Medicare: Administered by Federal Government – Short-term catastrophic care – Care immediately following a discharge from the hospital (hip replacement, heart attack, stroke, etc.). Maximum days of care are 100, Average is 35 days.

Medicare Part A: Covers inpatient hospital services and certain services furnished by other institutional healthcare providers, such as long-term care facilities.

Medicare Part B: Services includes physical, occupational, speech therapy; pharmaceuticals and medical supplies; certain intensive rehabilitation and psychiatric services; and ancillary services if the type provided by long term care or acute care facilities.

MDS Coordinator: Minimum Data Set - Facility Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement coordinator.

Payor Mix: Represents breakdown of revenue at Healthcare Facility (i.e., Private, Medicare, Medicaid, VA, HMO, Other).

PL/GL: Professional Liability and General Liability.

PPD: Per Patient Day – Term typically used to measure income and expenses at a healthcare facility.

PPS: Prospective Payment System – A method of paying health care providers in which rates are established in advance. Providers are paid these rates regardless of the costs they actually incur. This system replaced the Cost Based System.

Qui Tam: Provision of the 1986 Federal False Claims Act, which allows citizens to file a suit on behalf of the federal government against anyone who has participated in government fraud “whistle blower”.

RUG: Resource Utilization Group – An assessment tool designed for SNF’s to assess the condition and case-mix index of prospective patients as well as monitor the on-going health status of the patient. There are 44 RUGs. A rate is associated with each of the 44 RUG classifications for both rural and urban areas.

SNF: Skilled Nursing Facility – A facility that provides acute care and rehabilitation services.

TILE: Texas Index of Level of Effort – The level of effort required by providers to provide the appropriate service(s) to a client based on an assessment of the client’s medical need. A TILE is used in the calculation of the Medicaid payment rate for certain services provided to a client.