Healthcare Glossary

Comorbidity

The presence of two or more medical conditions in the same patient at the same time.

Copay

A fixed amount a patient pays for a covered healthcare service at the time of the visit.

Deductible

The amount a patient must pay out of pocket for healthcare services before insurance begins to cover costs.

EHR

A digital version of a patient's medical history, maintained by healthcare providers and shared across clinical settings.

Formulary

A list of prescription drugs covered by a health insurance plan, organised by tier and cost.

HIPAA

The US federal law that protects the privacy and security of patients' health information.

ICD Code

A standardised code used worldwide to classify diseases, symptoms, and medical procedures for billing and record-keeping.

Morbidity

The rate or prevalence of a disease or medical condition within a population.

Payer

The entity that pays for healthcare services — typically an insurance company, government programme, or employer.

Prior Authorisation

A requirement that a healthcare provider get approval from the insurer before delivering certain services or prescribing certain medications.

Provider

Any individual or organisation that delivers healthcare services — doctors, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and more.

Referral

A formal recommendation from one healthcare provider directing a patient to another provider for specialised care.

Triage

The process of sorting patients by the urgency of their condition to determine the order in which they receive care.