I am interested in what Wordcrafters think a health care provider is. This is a term that frequents nursing literature these days, and I wonder what those outside of health care think it means.

Hmmm...does this mean you don't know...or is this a stupid question?

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
Hmmm...does this mean you don't know...or is this a stupid question?

It means I'm still sharing my wife's computer and hadn't gotten time to check in here to answer!

With the advent of "managed" health care, more and more insurance companies are only paying for nurse practitioners, who work for less money than MDs, but are usually competent. Osteopaths, chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, and shamans might also fit under the defitition as well.

That's what I think, too. It even can deteriorate to LPNs or nursing assistants. The term is used in nursing so that people won't think a "doctor" is just a physician and not a nurse practitioner, but I don't think it works.

Health care provider often refers to the insurance company.

Really? That's a new one to me.

No, I think I'm probably wrong about that. It can refer to the hospital or clinic, or the actual person or people who provide the care, but it seems I've heard it also used (incorrectly) at times to refer to the insurance company. Ignore my last post.