Foundations of Ethics
Principles that govern a person's behavior or how an activity is conducted.
What is Ethics?
The principle that mandates healthcare providers to "do no harm."
What is Nonmaleficence?
Acts perceived as offensive to society as a whole are handled under this type of law.
What is Criminal Law?
Failing to behave with the level of care that a reasonable person would have used under the same circumstances.
What is Negligence?
The fixed billing modifiers used to designate PT services vs. PTA services.
What are GP (PT) and CQ (PTA)?
Individuals aged 65+, individuals with specific permanent disabilities, and those with End-Stage Renal Disease qualify for this federal program.
What is Medicare?
Key components of a person’s character.
What are Morals?
The active effort of helping others and acting in the patient's best interest.
What is Beneficence?
A private dispute between individuals or businesses is handled under this type of law.
What is Civil Law?
The element of negligence proving the defendant had a legal obligation to act carefully toward the plaintiff, such as a PTA treating a patient.
What is Duty of Care?
The fixed, flat dollar amount a patient must pay for a specific medical service or prescription at the time of the visit.
What is a Co-Pay (Copayment)?
A system that classifies hospital inpatient stays into clinically similar groups for flat-rate payments instead of billing line-by-line for individual items.
What is a DRG (Diagnosis-Related Group)?
Adhering steadfastly to high ethical standards.
What is Integrity?
The obligation to speak and act truthfully with patients and colleagues
What is Veracity?
This primary legal document outlines exactly what treatments a practitioner can and cannot perform, alongside licensure and continuing education rules.
What is the State Practice Act?
The element of negligence triggered when a store owner leaves a wet puddle on the floor for hours or a driver texts while driving.
What is Breach of Duty?
The fixed amount of money a patient must pay entirely out-of-pocket for medical services before their health insurance company starts paying anything.
What is a Deductible?
A highly flexible health plan that allows you to see any doctor you want without a referral, providing partial coverage even for out-of-network care.
What is a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)?
The core value defined as placing the patient’s needs entirely ahead of the PTA’s self-interests.
What is Altruism?
Giving patients the power to make their own rational decisions and moral choices regarding care.
What is Autonomy?
You sign a written document stating a contractor will paint your house blue by Friday for exactly $3,000. This represents this specific type of contract.
What is an Expressed Contract?
This element requires proving that the plaintiff suffered actual, measurable physical injury, property damage, or financial loss.
What are Damages?
The modifier used when billing two distinct, like codes separately on the same day.
What is Modifier 59?
The hybrid health plan that requires a primary care physician (PCP) and referrals like an HMO, but still allows costlier out-of-network options like a PPO.
What is a POS (Point of Service) plan?
This core value requires an ongoing self-assessment, development, and implementation of a personal learning plan.
What is Continuing Competence?
The dual responsibility of keeping promises and commitments to your patients and the profession.
What is Fidelity?
You sit in the chair of your regular barber of five years for your usual haircut without mentioning prices before they cut it. This represents this specific type of contract.
What is an Implied Contract?
The crucial element establishing that the defendant's careless behavior directly and foreseeably caused the injury.
What is Causation?
This modifier is applied to billing lines to indicate that a service has met and exceeded the therapy CAP thresholds.
What is Modifier KX?
The specific subdivision of HMOs where the insurance entity directly owns the clinical facilities and employs the doctors as salaried staff.
What is the Staff Model?