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Arbitration: An alternative to a lawsuit. Arbitration tends to be far faster and cheaper than Court, but (for many reasons) arbitration heavily favors large parties (such as insurance carriers) that arbitrate frequently, and there is virtually no chance of getting a bad decision overturned.
Medical Necessity: While there is no set definition, part of the American Medical Association (AMA) definition is usually used: "Health care services or products that a prudent physician would provide to a patient for the purpose of preventing, diagnosing or treating an illness, injury, disease or its symptoms in a manner that is: (a) in accordance with generally accepted standards of medical practice; (b) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent, site, and duration; and (c) not primarily for the economic benefit of the health plans and purchasers or for the convenience of the patient, treating physician, or other health care provider." While the AMA also warns against taking price into account, most insurance carriers also require treatment to be the cheapest one possible for the job and not "experimental."
Peer/Medical Review: In theory, a review of medical necessity by a peer. In practice, a denial of medical necessity attributed to (but not necessarily written by) a medical professional. A medical review not attributed to a peer, meaning it is attributed to a medical professional with a different specialty from the prescriber. As long as the medical professional is qualified, they are usually able to submit a medical review.
All definitions are obtained from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary) unless noted otherwise.
CONCENTRATION CAMP: A place where large numbers of people (such as prisoners of war, political prisoners, refugees, or the members of an ethnic or religious minority) are detained or confined under armed guard—used especially in reference to camps created by the Nazis in World War II for the internment and persecution of Jews and other prisoners.
DISINFORMATION: False information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.
KAKISTOCRACY: government by the "worst" people, with "worst" in this context defined variously as most corrupt, discriminatory, incompetent, and/or stupid and prone to exploiting their positions of power and control to enrich themselves and punish perceived enemies. Common forms of kakistocracy include kleptocracy and oligarchy (defined below).
KLEPTOCRACY: Government by kleptocrats, those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed.
MISINFORMATION: Incorrect or misleading information.
OLIGARCH: (1) A member or supporter of an oligarchy. (2) One of a class of individuals who through private acquisition of state assets amassed great wealth that is stored especially in foreign accounts and properties and who typically maintain close links to the highest government circles. (Previously only recognized in, but not limited to, former Soviet Union nations.)
OLIGARCHY: (1) Government by the few. (2) A government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes.
PLUTOCRACY: (1) Government by the wealthy. (2) A controlling class of the wealthy ("plutocrats").
New York State’s Abandoned Infant Protection Act allows a parent to abandon a newborn baby up to 30 days of age, anonymously and without fear of prosecution, if the baby is abandoned in a safe manner. A parent is not guilty of a crime if the infant is left with an appropriate person or in a suitable location and the parent promptly notifies an appropriate person of the infant’s location. A hospital, staffed police or fire station are examples of safe and suitable choices.
A person leaving an infant under this law is not required to give his or her name.
Note that parents who are unable or unwilling to care for a child over 30 days old may contact an Administration for Children's Services (ACS) Field Office to discuss the option of voluntarily transferring custody of the child or giving up parental rights. There are ACS field offices in each borough, open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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