Thomson Reuters Publishes "Vocabulary of Healthcare Reform" to Demystify Alphabet Soup of PPACA Acronyms and Buzz Words

New Report and Glossary Put Stats and Substance Behind Reform Rhetoric

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Mar 28, 2012, 10:15 ET

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- What's the difference between an ACO and an HIE? According to a recent HCPlexus/Thomson Reuters National Physician Survey, even doctors have difficulty discriminating between these terms. Yet, acronyms like these, along with buzz words such as individual mandate and Cadillac tax continue to show up in headlines, political debates and boardrooms nationwide. In an effort to demystify the new lexicon of healthcare reform, Thomson Reuters has published a new paper called "Vocabulary of Healthcare Reform," which explains the new reform terminology along with insights to augment the definitions of these terms.

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"So many of these new terms such as bundled payment, meaningful use, and accountable care organization (ACO), still cause confusion to those not directly involved with the lawmaking process, but they will have an effect on all of us," said Raymond Fabius, M.D., chief medical officer at the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters and lead author of the report. "Healthcare is in a period of great transition and having the right definitions and analysis can provide critical knowledge necessary to establish reform response strategies and initiatives."

In addition to comprehensive overview of the buzz words and acronyms surrounding the reform debate, the paper is also packed with proprietary statistics and charts that further quantify the key healthcare reform issues. These statistics include the following:

Insurance Status by State: Color-coded map depicting insurance status (uninsured, privately insured, Medicare/Medicaid) of the populations of each state.
National Hospital Performance Measures: Breakdowns of hospital performance against core quality measures nationwide.
Percentage of Employers Impacted by Excise Tax: Projections for employer excise tax exposure through 2018.
Fraud, Waste and Abuse Costs: Estimated annual cost of various forms of fraud, waste and abuse.
Growth of Electronic Medical Records: Chart tracking the growth in use of electronic medical records among office-based physicians between 2001 and 2010.

A copy of the full report, Vocabulary of Healthcare Reform, can be accessed here.

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SOURCE Thomson Reuters