Ambulatory Patient Group
Ambulatory Patient Group (APG)
Ambulatory Patient Group (pronunciation: am-bu-la-to-ry pa-tient group) is a classification system used in healthcare for the purpose of determining the payment for services rendered in an outpatient setting. The system was developed by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), now known as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Etymology
The term "ambulatory" is derived from the Latin word "ambulare," which means "to walk." In a medical context, it refers to patients who are able to walk and are not bedridden. The term "patient group" refers to a classification of patients based on certain criteria, in this case, the type of outpatient services they receive.
Description
The Ambulatory Patient Group system categorizes patients into groups based on the type of services they receive during an outpatient visit. These services can include procedures, diagnostic tests, and visits with healthcare professionals. The system is used to determine the amount of payment that a healthcare provider will receive for these services from Medicare and Medicaid.
The APG system is designed to reflect the resource intensity of the services provided. This means that services that require more resources (such as time, equipment, and personnel) are assigned to higher-paying APGs.
Related Terms
- Outpatient: A patient who receives medical treatment without being admitted to a hospital.
- Health Care Financing Administration: The former name of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that administers the nation's major healthcare programs.
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: The federal agency that administers the nation's major healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
- Medicare: A federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease.
- Medicaid: A joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Ambulatory Patient Group
- Wikipedia's article - Ambulatory Patient Group
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