Glossary

c
Capitation

A method of payment for health services in which a health care provider is paid a fixed amount for each person served regardless of the actual services provided.

CAT Scan

See CT Scani

Catheter

A tube that can be introduced into the body.

Centigray

A measurement of the amount of radiation dose absorbed by the body (1 cGy = 1 rad).

CHAMPUS

Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Service that provides medical coverage for dependents and families of active-duty and retired military personnel.

Chemotherapy

Treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells.

Claim

Medical billing form used to send charges to insurance companies for payment of services & supplies rendered for medical treatment of a subscribed insured.

Clinical Target Volume

This is the specific zone surrounding the gross tumor volume with a physician prescribed margin usually between 5-10mm of tissue at high risk for clinical extension of the tumor beyond the gross tumor volume. This is the region of uncertainty that must be treated as though it contained the primary tumor. The CTVi then becomes your best estimate of the clinical extent of the tumor.

CMS

The Centers for Medicarei & Medicaidi Services (CMSi), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFAi), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with State governments to administer Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and health insurance portability standards. In addition to these programs, CMS has other responsibilities, including the administrative simplification standards from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAAi), quality standards in long-term care facilities (more commonly referred to as nursing homes) through its survey and certification process, and clinical laboratory quality standards under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments.

COBRA

Federal laws applying to groups of 20 or more, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act offers extended coverage for enrollees and family members after group coverage would normally end.

Collimator

A beam shaping device attached to the head of the treatment machine to form the initial configuration of the treatment beam.

Compensator

An irregularly shaped beam modifying device used to reconfigure the beam intensity to match irregular tissue contours.

Conformal radiation therapy

A procedure that utilizes computers to create a 3-dimensional view of a tumor in order to target the tumor as accurately as possible and give it the highest possible dose of radiation while sparing normal tissue as much as possible. It is also known as 3-D or conformational radiation therapy.

Consultation

The initial encounter with a new patient whose opinion or advice is requested by another physician for further evaluation and/or management of a specific problem. A consultant may initiate diagnostic and/or therapeutic services. A consultant's opinion and services must be documented in the patient's medical record & communicated to the original attending physician.

CoPay

This is the amount of money the patient is responsible for after Medicarei has made its initial payment. This is the balance of the account. 20% of the allowed charge if the physician is a participating provider & 35% if non-participating.

Copayment

An amount of money that the member or insured pays directly to a provider at the time services are rendered.

Coverage

The total scope of benefits under a subscriber's certificate.

CPT

Common Procedural Terminology, published by the AMAi. Procedure code(s) used to bill medical services provided to the patient.

Credentialing

The process of licensing, accrediting and certifying health care providers prior to allowing them to participate in a provider critical pathway.

Critical Organ

Vital internal organs located in the treatment area requiring special shielding or calculation of the delivered volume dose of radiation.

CRT
CT Scan

A computer driven tomography scan is an X-ray procedure that uses a computer to produce detailed pictures of the body.

CTV

This is the specific zone surrounding the gross tumor volume with a physician prescribed margin usually between 5-10mm of tissue at high risk for clinical extension of the tumor beyond the gross tumor volume. This is the region of uncertainty that must be treated as though it contained the primary tumor. The CTVi then becomes your best estimate of the clinical extent of the tumor.