Learning the ins and outs of PA government is hard enough without the alphabet soup of acronyms to decipher. We’ve created a dictionary of acronyms to sort it all out. If you have a suggestion for an acronymn that you think needs to be defined, please let us know.

AAA -Area Agency on Aging
AAP-PA – American Academy of Pediatrics – Pennsylvania Chapter
ACCESS Card – Medical Assistance Identification Card
ACP-PA – - American College of Physicians – Pennsylvania Chapter
ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act
ADAP- AIDS Drug Assistance Program
AFDC – Aid to Families with Dependent Children
AG - Attorney General

B
BH – Behavioral Health (services)
BHCP – Basic Health Care Package
BH-MCO - Behavioral Health Managed Care Organization
BMI – Body Mass Index
BRFSS – Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey

C
CAO- County Assistance Office
CBO- Congressional Budget Office
CDC - Center for Disease Control
CFR - Code of Federal Regulations
CHC - Community Health Center
CHIP - Children’s Health Insurance Program
CMS – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (federal)
COLA – Cost of Living Adjustment
COMPASS – Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Application for Social Services
COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
CVD – Cardiovascular Disease

D
D&A – Drugs & Alcohol
DHHS – United States Department of Health and Human Services
DGS – Department of General Services
DO – Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
DOH – Department of Health
DOI – Department of Insurance
DPW – Department of Public Welfare
DVT – Deep Vein Thrombosis

E
EBT – Electronic Benefits Transfer
EI – Early Intervention
EPSDT – Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment

F
FDA - Food and Drug Administration
FERPA – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
FFP – Federal Financial Participation
FFS – Fee-for-Service
FPIG – Federal Poverty Income Guideline
FQHC – Federally Qualified Health Center
FY – Fiscal Year

G
GOHCR – Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform

H
HAP – Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
HB – House Bill (State)
HC-L/C -HealthChoices Lehigh/Capital
HC-SE – HealthChoices Southeast
HC-SW – Health Choices Southwest
HealthChoices – PA’s program to provide mandatory managed health care to MA recipients
HHS- US Department of Health and Human Services
HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HEDIS – Healthplan Employer Data Information Set
HIPP – Health Insurance Premium Payback
HMO – Health Maintenance Organization

I
ICF – Intermediate Care Facility
IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

J
JAMA – Journal of the American Medical Association
JCAHO – Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

L
LIHEAP – Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
LTC – Long Term Care
LP – Licenced Practical (Nurse)

M
MA – Medical Assistance
MAAC – Medical Assistance Advisory Committee
MAID – Medical Assistance Identification Number
Mcare- Medical Care Availability & Reduction of Error
MCO – Managed Care Organization
Medicaid – The same as medical assistance.
MH/MR – Mental Health/Mental Retardation
MMA – Medicare Modernization Act

N
NCCCP – National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program
NCI - National Cancer Institute
NCQA - National Committee for Quality Assurance
NHANES - National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey
NHIS - National Health Interview Survey
NIH – National Institutes of Health

O
OBRA – Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
OCYF – Office of Children, Youth and Families
ODP – Office of Developmental Programs
OIM – Office of Income Maintenance
OIS – Office of Information Systems
OMAP – Office of Medical Assistance Programs
OMH – Office of Mental Health – see OMHSAS
OMHSAS – Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
OMR – Office of Mental Retardation
OSP – Office of Social Programs

P
PA – Prior Authorization
PA – Physician’s Assistant
PACE – Pharmaceutical Assistance contract for the Elderly
PaCHIP - PA’s Children’s Health Insurance Program
PAFP – Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians
PBM – Pharmacy Benefit Manager
PCCM – Primary Care Case Manager
PCP – Primary Care Provider
PDA – Pennsylvania Department of Aging
PDE - Pennsylvania Department of Education
PH – Physical Health
PHHSBG – Preventative Health & Health Services Block Grant
PHC4 – Pennsylvania Healthcare Cost Containment Council
PH-MCO – Physical Health Managed Care Organization
PMS – Pennsylvania Medical Society
PPA – Pennsylvania Prescription Assistance
PPS – Prospective Payment System
P&T – Pharmacy & Therapeutics

R
RFA – Request for Applications
RFP – Request for Proposal
RN – Registered Nurse
Rx for PA – Prescription for PA

S
SB – Senate Bill (state)
SCA – Single County Authority
SPBP – Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program
SSI - Supplemental Security Income
SSN - Social Security Number

T
TANF – Temporary Income for Needy Families

W
WIC - Woman, Infants and Children (program)