Glossary

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Handicapped
As defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment.
HCBS
Home and Community Based Services. Services or other supports to help people with disabilities of all ages to live in the community. Each state has a mix of programs and funding sources. The Medicaid program pays for many of these services in all states. There are also other federal, state and local dollars that fund home and community based services, including the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), Older Americans Act (OAA), Education and Rehabilitation funds and State General funds.
HCFA
Health Care Financing Administration
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Title I protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs. The Administrative Simplification provisions (HIPAA, Title II) require the Department of Health and Human Services to establish national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health plans, and employers. It also addresses the security and privacy of health data.
HMO
Health Maintenance Organization
Home and Community-Based Waivers
Section 2176 of the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987 permits states to offer, under a waiver, a wide array of home and community-based services that an individual may need to avoid institutionalization. Regulations to implement the act list the following services as community and home-based services which may be offered under the waiver program: case management, homemaker, home health aide, personal care, adult day health care, habilitation, respite care and other services.
Home Health Agency
A public or private organization that provides home health services, supervised by a licensed health professional in the patient\\'s home, either directly or through arrangements with other organizations.
Home Health Aide
A person who, under the supervision of a home health or social service agency, assists elderly, ill or disabled persons with household chores, bathing, personal care, and other daily living needs. Social service agency personnel are sometimes called personal care aides.
Home Health Care
Includes a wide range of health-related services such as assistance with medications, wound care, intravenous (IV) therapy, and help with basic needs such as bathing, dressing, mobility, etc., which are delivered at a person\\'s home.
Home Medical Equipment (also called durable medical equipment)
Equipment such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, and prosthetics used at home. May be covered by Medicaid and in part by Medicare or private insurance.
Homemaker Services
In-home help with meal preparation, shopping, light housekeeping, money management, personal hygiene and grooming, and laundry.
Hospice
A program which provides palliative and supportive care for terminally ill patients and their families, either directly or on a consulting basis with the patient\\'s physician or another community agency. The whole family is considered the unit of care, and care extends through their period of mourning.
Hospice Care
Services for the terminally ill provided in the home, a hospital, or a long-term care facility. Includes home health services, volunteer support, grief counseling, and pain management.
HUD
Housing and Urban Development
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