Skip to content
Pathcue

Health and Human Services Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Health and Human Services distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/health-and-human-services/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Social Determinants of Health

The conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. These include economic stability, education, neighborhood environment, healthcare access, and social context.

Medicaid

A joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities. It is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with limited income in the United States.

Medicare

A federal health insurance program primarily for people aged 65 and older, as well as certain younger individuals with disabilities or specific conditions. It consists of Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance), Part C (Medicare Advantage), and Part D (prescription drug coverage).

Public Health Surveillance

The ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data regarding a health-related event for use in public health action to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health.

Health Equity

The attainment of the highest level of health for all people, requiring focused societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and healthcare disparities.

Managed Care

A healthcare delivery system organized to manage cost, utilization, and quality. Managed care organizations contract with healthcare providers and facilities to deliver care to enrolled members at reduced costs, typically through networks of preferred providers.

Evidence-Based Practice

An approach to healthcare and human services that integrates the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values to guide decision-making and improve outcomes.

Child Welfare System

A group of services designed to promote the well-being of children by ensuring safety, achieving permanency, and strengthening families to care for their children successfully. It includes child protective services, foster care, adoption services, and family preservation programs.

Behavioral Health Integration

The systematic coordination of general and behavioral healthcare, including mental health and substance use disorder services, within primary care and other medical settings to improve whole-person health outcomes.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Landmark federal legislation enacted in 2010 that expanded health insurance coverage, established health insurance marketplaces, prohibited denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and introduced essential health benefit requirements for insurance plans.

Key Terms at a Glance

Affordable Care Act (ACA):Comprehensive healthcare reform legislation signed into law in 2010 that expanded insurance coverage, created health insurance marketplaces, and enacted consumer protections.
Behavioral Health:A broad term encompassing mental health, substance use disorders, and the connection between behavior and the well-being of the body and mind.
Block Grant:A large sum of federal money granted to a state or local government with only general provisions on how it should be spent, allowing flexibility in program design.
Care Coordination:The deliberate organization of patient care activities and sharing of information among all participants involved in a patient's care to achieve safer and more effective care.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):The national public health agency responsible for disease prevention, health promotion, and emergency preparedness and response.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):The federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Child Protective Services (CPS):A government agency that investigates reports of child abuse and neglect and provides services to protect children and support families.
Community Health Center:A federally funded nonprofit health clinic providing primary care, dental care, and behavioral health services to medically underserved populations regardless of ability to pay.
Epidemiology:The branch of medicine dealing with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health in populations.
Essential Health Benefits:A set of ten categories of services that health insurance plans must cover under the ACA, including hospitalization, prescription drugs, maternity care, and mental health services.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA):The federal agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation of food, tobacco, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and cosmetics.
Foster Care:A system in which a minor is placed into a state-certified caregiver's home when the child's biological parents are unable to care for them, often due to abuse, neglect, or other family challenges.
Health Disparities:Preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, or opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.
Health Insurance Marketplace:An online platform created by the ACA where individuals and families can shop for, compare, and purchase health insurance plans, often with financial assistance.
HIPAA:The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law that established national standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information.

Get study tips in your inbox

We'll send you evidence-based study strategies and new cheat sheets as they're published.

We'll notify you about updates. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Health and Human Services Cheat Sheet - Quick Reference Guide | PiqCue