D

Data Collection and Health Care Disparities

New requirements for reporting of treatment data on race, sex, primary language, disability status, and location designed to target and minimize treatment disparities between groups.

Day Treatment Center

Health center that provides care for patients not required to stay overnight; most commonly these centers treat mental health or substance abuse issues.

Death Panel

A fictional political term that refers to a supposed committee of doctors and/or bureaucrats who would decide which critically ill patients receive treatment, allegedly leaving the rest to die. Sometimes conflated with, and likely derived from, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) established by the Affordable Care Act.

Deductible

The amount of expenses that must be paid out of pocket before an insurer will pay any expenses.

Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)

The agency that oversees federal health care programs. Included in HHS are CMS, CDC, FDA, and NIH, among others.

Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)

Administers Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Dependent Coverage

Insurance plans that cover dependents (spouse or children) of the policy holder.

Diagnosis Related Group (DRG)

A system that organizes health diagnoses into one of the original 467 groups.

Direct Access

A provision of some health insurance plans that allows policy holders to see doctors or specialists without a referral from a primary care physician or 'gatekeeper.'

Disability Rights Advocates (DRA)

Advocacy group who seeks to fight for those who have suffered systematic problems through class action and other litigation.

Resource-based Relative Value Scale

A formula that determines set Medicare payments for physician services using inputs of the resources used (physician work, the cost of providing the service, and…