Terms
When it comes to laws and regulations regarding benefit plans, all of the terms and acronyms can get confusing. Haynes Benefits wants to help you make sense of the alphabet soup. Here are the basics:
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ACA Affordable Care Act
HCR Health Care Reform, also known as ACA
IFR Interim Final Regulations
MHPAEA Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
GINA Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
HITECH Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act
EHR Electronic Health Records
DRS Designated Record Set
AHP Association Health Plan
MLR Medical Loss Ratio
PPACA: Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act
NAIC: National Association of Insurance Commissioners
SBC: Summary of Benefits and Coverage
ACA | Affordable Care Act | back to top > |
ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act | back to top > |
ADEA | Age Discrimination in Employment Act | back to top > |
AHP | Association Health Plan | back to top > |
CMS | Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) | back to top > |
COBRA | Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 | back to top > |
CDHC | Consumer-Driven Health Care | back to top > |
DCAP | Dependent Care Assistance Program | back to top > |
DOL | Department of Labor | back to top > |
DRS | Designated Record Set | back to top > |
EBSA | Employee Benefits Security Administration, formerly known as the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (PWBA) | back to top > |
EEOC | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | back to top > |
EHR | Electronic Health Records | back to top > |
ERISA | Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 | back to top > |
EGTRRA | Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 | back to top > |
EAP | Employee Assistance Program | back to top > |
FICA | Federal Insurance Contributions Act | back to top > |
FSA | Flexible Spending Arrangement | back to top > |
FMLA | Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 | back to top > |
GINA | Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act | back to top > |
HCR | Health Care Reform, also known as ACA | back to top > |
HITECH | Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act | back to top > |
HMO | Health Maintenance Organization | back to top > |
HRA | Health Reimbursement Arrangement | back to top > |
HSA | Health Savings Account | back to top > |
HHS | Department of Health and Human Services | back to top > |
HDHC | High-Deductible Health Coverage | back to top > |
HDHP | High-Deductible Health Plan | back to top > |
HIPAA | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 | back to top > |
IFR | Interim Final Regulations | back to top > |
IRS | Internal Revenue Service | back to top > |
MSP | Medicare Secondary Payer | back to top > |
MEWA | Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement | back to top > |
MHPA | Mental Health Parity Act | back to top > |
MLR | Medical Loss Ratio | back to top > |
NAIC | National Association of Insurance Commissioners | back to top > |
NMHPA | Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act | back to top > |
MHPAEA | Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act | back to top > |
OCR | Office of Civil Rights, an agency of HHS | back to top > |
OHCA | Organized Health Care Arrangement | back to top > |
PDA | Pregnancy Discrimination Act | back to top > |
PEO | Professional Employer Organization | back to top > |
PHI | Protected Health Information | back to top > |
PHSA | Public Health Service Act | back to top > |
PPACA | Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (See ACA) | back to top > |
PPO | Preferred Provider Organization | back to top > |
QDRO | Qualified Domestic Relations Order | back to top > |
QMCSO | Qualified Medical Child Support Order | back to top > |
SAR | Summary Annual Report | back to top > |
SBC | Summary of Benefits and Coverage | back to top > |
SMM | Summary of Material Modifications | back to top > |
SPD | Summary Plan Description | back to top > |
USERRA | Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act | back to top > |
VEBA | Voluntary Employees' Beneficiary Association | back to top > |
WFTRA | Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 | back to top > |
WHCRA | Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act | back to top > |