Suggested Plain Language Terms and Phrases | Texas Health and Human Services

Plain language makes communications easier for the public to read, understand and use the first time they see or hear it. Learn more about plain language or find more plain language word and phrase replacements.

Word and Phrases	Suggested Replacement	Notes and Examples
a number of	some
access	use
actively participate	be involved
additional	added, more, other
adolescent	teen or teenager
alien	immigrant
alternative	choice
and/or	or, and, or both, and both	Not correct: Call us if you are enrolled in Medicare and/or Medicaid. Correct: Call us if you are enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or both.
annual	once a year
annually	yearly
applicant	[should usually avoid]	Instead of Medicaid applicant, use person who applied for Medicaid.
appoint	name
appointment	visit
approximately	about
assist	help
attempt	try
available	ready
case	person, resident
category	group
cavity/cavities	tooth decay
certified	are approved, will get	Not correct: You are certified for Medicaid on Oct. 1, 2009. Correct: You are approved for Medicaid starting Oct. 1, 2009.
check up, check-up	checkup	Federal directive (Frew lawsuit): Use checkup or the Spanish chequeo when referring to a Medicaid medical or dental service provided through Texas Health Steps.
chronic illness	long-lasting illness
communicate	talk
competent	able	Can also use has the skills to.
completion	end, finish
comply	meet the program rules
concerning	about, on
consent	agree to
contact us	call us (if only a phone number is listed) / email us (if only an email address is listed)
contains	has
continue	keep getting or keep going
contraception	birth control
decrease	reduce, lower
demonstrate	show
dependent	[avoid]	Not correct: Dependent care costs Correct: Costs for people who depend on you.
denied	not approved, will not get	Not correct: Your Medicaid case has been denied. Correct: You are not approved for Medicaid.
detect	find
determine	find out, see if, decide
difficulties	problems, trouble
discontinue	stop
disenroll	leave the program
disqualified	no longer meets the program rules, can no longer be in the program, not able to get
drug, on first reference when referring to prescription medication	medicine, medicines, medication, prescription, prescription drugs	Drug is acceptable on second reference or if context is clear.
due to	because
educated (v) or be informed	learn about
effective date	start date, the date you can start getting services
eligible	are able to get	Eligible and eligibility are both complex, multisyllabic words. Try to avoid using them by restructuring the sentence.
encourage	urge
endeavor	try
enroll	join
ensure	make sure
establish	set up, prove, show
exceeds	is more than
exhausted (v)	gone through, used up
exhibit	show
expedite	speed up
facilitate	help, ease
failed to	didn’t
feasible	can be done
finalize	complete, finish
for more information	To learn more: Questions? Call xxx-xxx-xxxx …
frequently	often
function	act, role, work
fundamental	basic
head of household	contact person	If head of household needs to be used, provide a definition. Example: The head of household is the main caretaker of the people applying for services. See household.
household	[should usually avoid]	Not correct: Household composition Correct: People living in your home or People on your benefits case. See head of household.
however	but
identical	same
impacted	affected, changed
impair	harm	This refers to the use of impair as a transitive verb, not a pejorative.
implement	carry out, start
in accordance with	by, following, per, under
in addition	also, besides, too
in an effort to	to
indigent	people who are low-income
individual, individuals	person, people, resident, person receiving services	Use person unless there’s a need to distinguish the person you’re referring to from a multiple-person group. Individual is acceptable when part of a standardized phrase or acronym such as intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID).
ineligible	not able to get
inform	tell
information	fact	See for more information.
initial	first
initiate	begin, start
in lieu of	instead
in order that	for, so
in order to	to
in regard to	about, concerning, on
maintain your health	stay healthy
make sure to …	[should usually avoid]	Not correct: Make sure to apply for Medicaid. Correct: Apply for Medicaid, or Remember to apply for Medicaid.
maximum	greatest, largest most
Medicaid ID form	Medicaid ID
minimum	least, smallest
modify	change
no later than	by
notification	notice
notify	tell
numerous	many
occur	happen
opportunity	chance
option	choice
permission	agree to, allow
persons	people	Use people when it makes sense to do so and when a legal obligation does not require the use of persons. In those cases, the use of persons is permissible.
person on Medicaid	person who has Medicaid	Not correct: Texas Health Steps checkups are free as long as your child is on Medicaid. Correct: Texas Health Steps checkups are free as long as your child has Medicaid.
pharmacy	drugstore
physician	doctor, clinic, primary care provider	See PCP/medical home.
previous	earlier
previously	before
primary care dentist, dental home	main dentist
PCP/medical home	primary care provider or main doctor
private health insurance	other health insurance
prior, prior to	before
process (v)	to work on
qualified	are able to get
qualified alien	legal immigrant
recertify	renew, re-apply
re-enroll	renew, apply again
regarding	about, of, on
relating to	about
remain	stay
request	ask for
required	need or needed
resolve	fix
resources (alone)	things you own	You might need to give examples of types of resources. Example: Report a change if your resources are more than $10,000. This includes things like money you have in the bank, stocks, bonds and cash.
select	pick
several	many
shots	vaccines, vaccinations	Exception: When writing about flu shots in English materials, the word shot is OK to use.
similar to	like
slashes	or, and
stamped, self-addressed return envelope	pre-paid envelope
state-of-the-art	latest
suffer	–	Avoid when writing about an illness. Suffer can be insulting when talking about conditions like mental illness.
sufficient	enough
telephone	phone
terminate	end
therefore	so
third party insurance or third party liability	other insurance
time period	Use “time,” or use “period”
ultimate	last, final
understand	know
utilize	use
vaccinations	vaccines
verification	proof
we are writing to tell you …	[should usually avoid]
you are required to you are responsible for	you must