Three Medicare Terms You See All the Time (And What They Mean)
Did that make sense to you? Probably not, unless you live in Maine, Philly, Alabama, New Jersey, or Connecticut.
In plain, simple terms, it means, "Yes, that whole thing went completely crooked at the left-turn loop because of some unknown cause."
Across the country, you’ll hear lingo that you’ve never heard of before and don’t really understand. For example,
In Maine, ayuh means yes.
In Philly, jawn can stand in for almost anything.
In Alabama, cattywampus means crooked or out of place.
In New Jersey, a jughandle is a traffic loop that lets drivers make a left turn.
And in Glastonbury, Connecticut, a Glawackus is an unknown or unexpected cause.
With local jargon, certain context clues can help you nod politely and pretend you’re in the know.
Medicare is like regional jargon for insurance professionals. The main difference? Instead of accidentally misusing a term and sounding like a tourist, misunderstanding a Medicare term could cost you time and money.
To help, we’ve compiled the top three most confusing Medicare terms and added simple definitions.
1. What is Medicare Attestation?
An attestation is a signed letter stating the funds in your Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Account (WCMSA) were used correctly. When you sign an attestation, you attest that you used your WCMSA account properly.
Your Medicare attestation is required within 30 days of your settlement anniversary. You must complete it to continue receiving coverage.
2. What Does OTC Mean in Medicare?
In Medicare, OTC stands for Over-the-Counter. This refers to any drug you can buy without a prescription. Common examples include painkillers, laxatives, heartburn treatment, and sleep aids.
A Medicare Advantage OTC benefit allows members to use their card to access an allowance for approved health and wellness products.
3. What are ICD-10 Codes?
ICD-10 Codes are a medical coding system created by the World Health Organization and used by medical providers to classify diagnoses, symptoms, injuries, and health conditions.
In the USA, two primary code sets are used: ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS.
ICD-10-PCS is used in hospital settings, whereas ICD-10-CM is used for medical claim reporting.
In Medicare, selecting the proper ICD-10 codes categorizes your diagnosis and helps you receive the right medical services.
Navigating Medicare’s Rules Without a Translator is Confusing
When you settle a workers’ compensation case, Medicare rules and regulations become an important consideration in your settlement. And with a settlement comes all of the jargon you feel behind on. Suddenly, you face unfamiliar terms, specific requirements, and decisions that can make the process feel cattywampus.
And the last thing you want is to take an unnecessary Jughandle just to get to the right solution.
Decoding Medicare Jargon with FFC
You don’t have to sift through Facebook groups or Reddit forums trying to decode what Medicare is asking of you. Leave that to us. As the oldest professional administrator in the country, we speak Medicare fluently.