Claim

A claim is a debt owing by a debtor to another person or business. In probate parlance, the term used for debts of the decedent and a procedure that must be followed by a creditor to obtain payment from his estate.

A claim is also a request for payment for services and benefits the person received. Claims are also called bills for all Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B services billed through fiscal intermediaries. Claim is the word used for Part B physician/supplier services billed through the carrier.

In intellectual property law, a patent includes one or more claims that define the scope of protection for the invention.