capitation

American  

[kap-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌkæp ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a numbering or assessing by the head.

2. a poll tax.

3. a fee or payment of a uniform amount for each person.

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capitation British  

/ ˌkæpɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. a tax levied on the basis of a fixed amount per head

2. a grant of money given to every person who qualifies under certain conditions

3. the process of assessing or numbering by counting heads

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Other Word Forms

• capitative adjective

Etymology

Origin of capitation

First recorded in 1605–15; from French, from Late Latin capitātiōn- (stem of capitātiō ), equivalent to Latin capit- (stem of caput ) “head” + -ātiōn noun suffix; -ation

Example Sentences

Oak Street operated on a capitation basis under the Medicare Advantage program—which meant the bulk of its revenues were keyed off the number of enrolled Medicare patients, leaving it vulnerable to higher-than-expected expenses.

From Barron's

It is based on the ability of the state’s integrated medical groups to provide high-quality care at a lower cost by receiving monthly revenue per enrollee, a payment system known as capitation.

From Los Angeles Times

And they began writing down every medical condition in a member, often too aggressively and sometimes inappropriately “upcoding” to boost the capitation amount.

From Los Angeles Times

If the doctors overprescribe, they could lose money on patient care; if they keep services under control, they pocket more of the capitation for themselves.

From Los Angeles Times

Iora, for example, operates through Medicare Advantage on what is known as a capitation system, getting a set amount for the care of each patient that includes health coaching.

From New York Times

Related Words

• contribution
• cost
• duty
• expense
• fine
• levy
• price
• rate
• tariff