ASO
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Administrative services only |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Medical |
ASO has three meanings. The most common are Administrative services only (health insurance) and Antistreptolysin O (laboratory test); it can also stand for Antisense oligonucleotide.
Meanings of ASO at a glance
| # | ASO stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Administrative services only | Medical › Health Insurance |
| 2 | Antistreptolysin O | Medical › Laboratory Test |
| 3 | Antisense oligonucleotide | Medical › Drug Class |
1. Administrative services only
Medical · Health Insurance Abbreviations
Arrangement in which an insurance company provides claims processing, network access and other administrative services to a self-funded employer for a fee, while the employer bears the financial risk of paying claims. Employees often see the insurer's name on their cards even though the employer is paying.
Example: Our plan is ASO with a national carrier: their network and card, but the company pays the claims.
Self-funded ASO plans are governed by ERISA rather than state insurance law. Employers often buy stop-loss insurance to protect against unexpectedly large claims. In laboratory medicine ASO means antistreptolysin O.
2. Antistreptolysin O
Medical · Laboratory Test Abbreviations
Antibody titer against streptolysin O, a toxin made by group A streptococci, used as evidence of a recent strep infection when acute rheumatic fever or post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis is suspected. Titers start rising about a week after infection and peak at roughly three to six weeks.
Example: ASO 800 with migratory arthritis and carditis; supports acute rheumatic fever.
Adding anti-DNase B increases sensitivity, especially after strep skin infections, which provoke a weaker ASO response. Normal values are higher in school-age children, who have frequent strep exposure. In health insurance writing, ASO means administrative services only, an unrelated term.
3. Antisense oligonucleotide
Medical · Drug Class Abbreviations
Short synthetic strand of nucleic acid that binds a specific RNA to block, degrade or alter the processing of a disease-causing protein's message. Nusinersen for spinal muscular atrophy and tofersen for SOD1-related ALS are ASO drugs.
Example: Nusinersen (ASO) 12 mg intrathecal loading doses on days 0, 14, 28 and 63.
Nusinersen, approved in 2016 and given by lumbar puncture, transformed survival in infantile spinal muscular atrophy. In 2018 a custom ASO named milasen was designed for a single child with Batten disease, illustrating "n-of-1" drug development. Many ASOs require injection into spinal fluid because they cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.
Related abbreviations
More health insurance abbreviations
- AEP – Annual Enrollment Period
- AOB – Assignment of benefits
- APC – Ambulatory payment classification
- APTC – Advance premium tax credit
- AV – Actuarial value
- BAA – Business associate agreement
- BCBS – Blue Cross Blue Shield
- CDHP – Consumer-directed health plan
See all 107 health insurance abbreviations →
More laboratory test abbreviations
- anti-CCP – Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody
- Anti-Xa – Anti-factor Xa assay
- ApoB – Apolipoprotein B
- aPTT – Activated partial thromboplastin time
- AST – Aspartate aminotransferase
- BCx – Blood cultures
- BE – Base excess
- BG – Blood glucose
See all 135 laboratory test abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.