It’s no secret that working in the healthcare field can be a hectic and rushed environment. With patients coming and going, communication a necessity, it’s no surprise that many healthcare professionals rely on acronyms to get his or her thought across. Not only are they used to communicate quickly and efficiently, but they’re also designed to help medical students and professionals retain information quickly. Below we’ll take a look at some of the most important healthcare acronyms. Thos is so you can make sure you’re getting your point across ASAP (As Soon As Possible). Important Healthcare Acronyms HIPPA This is probably one of the most common, and certainly most important healthcare acronyms to know. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act established a national standard to be used in all doctors’ offices, hospitals and other businesses where personal medical information is stored. Essentially, HIPPA gave patients the rights to view their medical records. It also allows them to access information that they might want to change. It was designed to ensure that the medical records of patients do not become compromised. ACA This acronym has only been in the healthcare vernacular for a little less than 10 years. The Affordable Care Act was implemented by President Obama and was designed to extend coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, to implement measures that will lower health care costs and improve system efficiency, and to eliminate industry practices that include elimination and denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Now that President Trump has taken over the office, it’s expected that the ACA will soon become obsolete. So far progress on a new type of healthcare initiative has been slow. EHR If you work in any sort of formal healthcare setting like a hospital, urgent care site, or family practice, EHR (Electronic Health Record) is probably one of the more important healthcare acronyms that you’ll hear. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users. While an EHR does contain the medical and treatment histories of patients, an EHR system is built to go beyond standard clinical data collected in a provider’s office and can be inclusive of a broader view of a patient’s care. It also allows departments and facilities to seamlessly share patient information across a single platform. These EHR portals essentially make communication and the logistics of running a healthcare facility as easy as possible. TRICARE TRICARE is one of the most important acronyms that many people tend to forget about. TRICARE is designed to provide coverage for current military members and their families. The Tricare program is managed by Tricare Management Activity under the authority of the Assistant Secretary of Defense. Tricare is the civilian care component of the Military Health System. Historically it also included health care delivered in the military medical treatment facilities. The program is designed to ensure that current military members as well veterans receive the proper healthcare that they deserve. TRICARE can also be used in hospitals other than the traditional VA facility. However, with a new president in office, it’s possible we could see some changes to the Veteran healthcare landscape in the near future. NAIC The last of the important healthcare acronyms you should know is the NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners). The NAIC is designed to ensure that state insurance programs are following the guidelines and regulations created by the NAIC.  NAIC members, together with the central resources of the NAIC, form the national system of state-based insurance regulation in the U.S. You’ll most likely hear this acronym when dealing with health insurance issues with patients and your facility. What are some important acronyms...