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Acronym Glossary

Acronyms are often used by public and private agencies as timesaving, shorthand ways to communicate lengthy titles or basic concepts. This glossary provides a quick reference to the terms, acronyms and abbreviations commonly used by this Department.

Topics P

  • PA

    Prior Authorization

  • PACE

    Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly

  • PACT

    Program of Assertive Community Treatment; an outpatient program for adults operated by Mendota Mental Health Institute.

  • PACU

    Public Assistance Collection Unit

  • PAD

    Provider-Administered Drugs

  • PAR

    Position action request; a personnel form used for both hiring and reclassification purposes.

  • PBM

    Pharmacy Benefit Manager

  • PCA

    Personal Care Agency

  • PCBs

    Polychlorinated biphenyls. Disposition of these organic compounds is a matter of public concern because of their chronic toxicity, pervasiveness and persistence in the environment and their tendency to accumulate in the food chain and people.

  • PCS

    Personal Care Services

  • PCU

    Program Certification Unit (DQA)

  • PD

    Position description form, describing the duties, performance expectations, and knowledge required for a position; there is a PD for every position.

  • PE

    Presumptive Eligibility

  • PERM

    Payment Error Rate Measurement

  • Personal Care Services

    Mainly refers to assistance with activities of daily living such as eating, dressing, bathing and walking.

  • PHHSBG

    Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.

  • PHIN

    Wisconsin Public Health Information Network is a secure, online network from the Department of Health Services for integrating the information resources of the public health system and all public health partners.

  • PL

    Public Law; Federal term equivalent to session law in Wisconsin.

  • PNCC

    Prenatal Care Coordination.

  • POS

    Purchase of services.

  • POS

    Point of Sale; Place of Service

  • Power of Attorney for Health Care

    Under ch. 155, Wisconsin Statutes, a competent person at least 18 years of age may complete a form available from DHS to designate someone to make health care decisions for the person in the event that the person becomes unable to make those decisions. The designated person is that person's agent to exercise the power of attorney.

  • PPD

    Performance Planning and Development, a system for improving performance of department employees based on joint supervisor-employee planning and emphasizing results and opportunities for staff development.

  • PPO

    Preferred Provider Organization; preferred group of providers and facilities that offer discounts on their services to members of the same organizations they contract with.

  • PR

    Program revenues; consist of revenues paid into a specific fund in payment for a product or service and used to meet the cost of producing or providing that product or service.

  • PRAMS

    Wisconsin Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System is an ongoing survey of new mothers conducted jointly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments.

  • PRF

    Program revenues-Federal; consist of revenues received by the state from the Federal government in support of programs and projects operated by the Department or in reimbursement for the cost of services provided through programs operated by the Department.

  • PRO

    Prescribing/Referring/Ordering (a provider type)

  • PRO(b)

    Peer Review Organization; a group sponsored by physicians which reviews the need for services provided under Medicare, Medicaid, and Maternal and Child Health programs, their quality, and if they are appropriate. This is done in connection with reimbursing providers.

  • Prospective Rate Reimbursement

    Payment to medical care providers in cases where the amount or rate were already agreed upon, regardless of actual cost.

  • Protective Placement

    A court-ordered placement of people who have been found to be unable to manage their own affairs and need care and custody. Placement is within nursing homes or other non-psychiatric protective living areas.

  • Protective Services

    Assistance to protect vulnerable persons from being abused, exploited, or treated in a degrading manner, and to help those who are adults live as independently as possible.

  • PRS

    Program revenues-service; consist of revenues made up of payments from other state appropriations.

  • PSC

    Public Service Commission

  • PT

    Physical therapy.

Last revised February 14, 2024