GLOSSARY OF HEALTH INSURANCE TERMS

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Incurred Claims — all claims with dates of service within a specified period.

Indemnity — health insurance benefits provided in the form of cash payments rather than services. Insurance program in which covered person is reimbursed for covered expenses. An indemnity insurance contract usually defines the maximum amounts that will be paid for covered services.

Indemnity Plans — in these traditional fee-for-service group health insurance plans, the patient chooses any doctor or hospital he or she wants to use. The employer pays premiums to the health insurance company to cover the costs of providing benefits and administering claims. The employee may pay a portion of the monthly insurance premiums, an annual deductible and /or copayments per medical visit.

Individual Stop-Loss Coverage — a type of stop-loss insurance that provides benefits for claims on an individual that exceed a stated amount in a given period. Also known as specific stop-loss coverage.

Inpatient Care — health care given to a registered bed patient in a hospital, nursing home, skilled nursing, or other medical or post acute institution.

Internal Medicine — generally, that branch of medicine that is concerned with diseases that do not require surgery, specifically, the study and treatment of internal organs and body systems.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) — a unit of a hospital especially designed and staffed to meet the specific needs of critically or seriously ill patients.

Internist — a physician who specializes in adult medicine (ages 18 and over).