Term

Definition

hard market

insurance market conditions generally characterized by increasing premium, reduced scope of coverage, and a limited number of insurers willing to write coverage (opposite of soft market)

healing arts

older term for some forms of medical treatment

health care organization (HCO)

in some states, a specific form of managed care organization

health maintenance organization (HMO)

group of medical providers that contract to provide care based on a fixed amount per person covered rather than the traditional fee-for-service basis

hearing

formal or informal meeting between the parties in a WC claim, presided over by one or more WC regulators, for the purpose of resolving disputes or confirming negotiated agreements

hearing examiner

for WC, a state official who reviews WC disputes and issues decisions

hearing officer

same as hearing examiner

hearing representative

person, not an attorney, who appears at WC hearings on behalf of an injured worker or an employer (not permitted in all states)

hernia statute

special requirements in some states for deciding whether a hernia is compensable or not

“hidden costs of employee injuries”

indirect costs of finding and training replacement workers, loss of experience workers, and lowered morale

holding power

in a loss-sensitive program, the maximum amount of loss that can be “held” within the rating plan

horseplay

For WC, conduct in the workplace that is not part of the employee's duties and creates compensability issues