New York Health Access

Glossary

Recertification
Most public benefits programs require that the recipient show from time to time that they continue to be eligible for that benefit. This is usually called recertification or renewal. Most Medicaid recipients must recertify once a year.
Referral
An authorization for a patient in a managed care plan to receive care from a specialist, hospital, or other health care provider. Referrals are usually given, in writing, by a primary care provider.
Resource
Resources (aka "assets") are money and property owned by an applicant for public benefits. Different programs have different rules about what types of resources are counted towards the resource limit, and some programs have no resource limit at all. In general, resources include bank accounts, other financial institution accounts, and real property (except the primary residence).