Health

Occupational Disease
Impairment of health caused by continued exposure to conditions inherent in a person's occupation or a disease caused by an employment or resulting from the nature of an employment.

Office Visit
Services provided in the physician's office.

Open Access
Allows a participant to see another participating provider of services without a referral. Also called open panel.

Open Debit.
A Life and Health Insurance debit (territory) currently without an agent.

Open Enrollment Period
A period during which members can elect to come under an alternate plan, usually without providing evidence of insurability.

Open Panel
See Open Access.

Optional Benefits
See Elective Benefits.

Optionally Renewable
A contract of Health Insurance in which an insurer reserves the unrestricted right to terminate coverage at any anniversary or, in some cases, at any premium due date. It may not do so in between.

Outcomes Measurement
A method of keeping track of a patient's treatment and the responses to that treatment.

Out-of-Area (OOA).
Treatment given to a member outside of the normal area.

Out-of-Pocket Costs
The amounts the covered person must pay out of his or her own pocket. This includes such things as coinsurance, deductibles, etc.

Out-of-Pocket Limit
The maximum coinsurnace an individual will be required to pay, after which the insurer will pay 100% of covered expenses up to the policy limit.

Outpatient
A patient who is not a bed patient in the hospital in which he or she is receiving treatment.

Overage Insurance
Health Insurance issued at ages above the usual limit, which is generally 65.

Overhead Expense Insurance
Insurance which covers such things as rent, utilities, and employee salaries when a business owner becomes disabled. The insurance benefit is generally not a fixed amount, but pays the amount of expenses actually incurred.

Over-The-Counter Drugs (OTC)
A drug that can be purchased without a prescription.