[ A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z ] T . . . Tertiary Care One of the following: Services provided by highly specialized providers such as neurosurgeons, thoracic surgeons and intensive care units. These services often require highly sophisticated technology and facilities. Subspecialty care usually requiring the facilities of a university affiliated or teaching hospital that has extensive diagnostic and treatment capabilities. Third Party Administrator (TPA) One of the following: Organizations with expertise and capability to administer all or a portion of the claims process. Individual or company that contracts with employers who want to self-insure the health of their employees. They develop and coordinate self-insurance programs, process and pay the claim and may help locate stop-loss insurance for the employer. They also can analyze the effectiveness of the program and trace the patterns of those using the benefits. Third-Party Payment One of the following: Payment by a financial agent such as an HMO, insurance company or government rather than direct payment by the patient for medical care services. The payment for health care when the beneficiary is not making payment, in whole or in part, in his own behalf. Total Budget Otherwise known as a "global" budget, a cap on overall health spending. Transfer Movement of a patient between hospitals or between units in a given hospital. n Medicare, a full DRG rate is paid only for transferred patients that are defined as discharged. Treatment Episode The period of treatment between admission and discharge from a modality, e.g., inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and outpatient. Many healthcare statistics and profiles use this unit as a base for comparisons. [ A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z ]