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National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

Organization of state insurance regulators.

National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA)

Independent organization that oversees managed care plans.

National Health Services Corps (NHSC)

A program providing scholarships and tuition assistance to health professionals operating in community health centers.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Federal agency responsible for biomedical and health-related research.

National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES)

The administrative system for supporting a national plan and provider registry. A comprehensive uniform system for identifying and uniquely enumerating health care providers and plans at the national level.

National Prevention Council

Created through the Affordable Care Act, a group chaired by the Surgeon General and comprised of 20 federal departments, agencies, and offices to ensure the health, well-being and resilience of the American people. Their mission is also known as the National Prevention Strategy.

Navigator

A third-party agent assigned to conduct public education about the availability of qualified health plans and help eligible consumers with the exchange enrollment process.

Network

A collection of heath care providers affiliated with an insurer. Care received from these providers is called in-network care, and care received from a non-network provider is called out-of-network care.

Non-participating Health Care Professional

Health care provider not affiliated with a patient's insurance plan.

Non-preferred Provider

A provider who doesn’t have a contract with your health insurer or plan to provide services to you. A provider need not participate in all preferred provider programs offered by any insurer.

Indigent Care

Health care provided for free to those who do not have health coverage and cannot afford to pay out of pocket.