58-17F-1.   Definitions. Terms used in this chapter mean:

             (1)      "Closed plan," a managed care plan or health carrier that requires covered persons to use participating providers under the terms of the managed care plan or health carrier and does not provide any benefits for out-of-network services except for emergency services;

             (2)      "Covered benefits" or "benefits," those health care services to which a covered person is entitled under the terms of a health benefit plan;

             (3)      "Covered person," a policyholder, subscriber, enrollee, or other individual participating in a health benefit plan;

             (4)      "Director," the director of the Division of Insurance;

             (5)      "Emergency medical condition," a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, such that a prudent layperson, who possesses an average knowledge of health and medicine, could reasonably expect that the absence of immediate medical attention would result in serious impairment to bodily functions or serious dysfunction of a bodily organ or part, or would place the person's health or, with respect to a pregnant woman, the health of the woman or her unborn child, in serious jeopardy;

             (6)      "Emergency services," with respect to an emergency medical condition:

             (a)      A medical screening examination that is within the capability of the emergency department of a hospital, including ancillary services routinely available to the emergency department to evaluate such emergency condition; and

             (b)      Such further medical examination and treatment, to the extent they are within the capability of the staff and facilities at a hospital to stabilize a patient;

             (7)      "Facility," an institution providing health care services or a health care setting, including hospitals and other licensed inpatient centers, ambulatory surgical or treatment centers, skilled nursing centers, residential treatment centers, diagnostic, laboratory, and imaging centers, and rehabilitation, and other therapeutic health settings;

             (8)      "Health care professional," a physician or other health care practitioner licensed, accredited, or certified to perform specified health services consistent with state law;

             (9)      "Health care provider" or "provider," a health care professional or a facility;

             (10)      "Health care services," services for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, cure, or relief of a health condition, illness, injury, or disease;

             (11)      "Health carrier," an entity subject to the insurance laws and regulations of this state, or subject to the jurisdiction of the director, that contracts or offers to contract, or enters into an agreement to provide, deliver, arrange for, pay for, or reimburse any of the costs of health care services, including a sickness and accident insurance company, a health maintenance organization, a nonprofit hospital and health service corporation, or any other entity providing a plan of health insurance, health benefits, or health services;

             (12)      "Health indemnity plan," a health benefit plan that is not a managed care plan;

             (13)      "Intermediary," a person authorized to negotiate and execute provider contracts with health carriers on behalf of health care providers or on behalf of a network;

             (14)      "Managed care contractor," a person who establishes, operates, or maintains a network of participating providers; or contracts with an insurance company, a hospital or medical service plan, an employer, an employee organization, or any other entity providing coverage for health care services to operate a managed care plan or health carrier;

             (15)      "Managed care entity," a licensed insurance company, hospital or medical service plan, health maintenance organization, or an employer or employee organization, that operates a managed care plan or a managed care contractor. The term does not include a licensed insurance company unless it contracts with other entities to provide a network of participating providers;

             (16)      "Managed care plan," a plan operated by a managed care entity that provides for the financing or delivery of health care services, or both, to persons enrolled in the plan through any of the following:

             (a)      Arrangements with selected providers to furnish health care services;

             (b)      Explicit standards for the selection of participating providers; or

             (c)      Financial incentives for persons enrolled in the plan to use the participating providers and procedures provided for by the plan;

             (17)      "Network," the group of participating providers providing services to a health carrier;

             (18)      "Open plan," a managed care plan or health carrier other than a closed plan that provides incentives, including financial incentives, for covered persons to use participating providers under the terms of the managed care plan or health carrier;

             (19)      "Participating provider," a provider who, under a contract with the health carrier or with its contractor or subcontractor, has agreed to provide health care services to covered persons with an expectation of receiving payment, other than coinsurance, copayments, or deductibles, directly or indirectly, from the health carrier;

             (20)      "Primary care professional," a participating health care professional designated by a health carrier to supervise, coordinate or provide initial care or continuing care to a covered person, and who may be required by the health carrier to initiate a referral for specialty care and maintain supervision of health care services rendered to the covered person; and

             (21)      "Secretary," the secretary of the Department of Health. (SL 2012, ch 239, § 1 provides: "The provisions of chapter 219 of the 2011 Session Laws shall be deemed repealed if the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Pub. L. No. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119 (2010), as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-152, 124 Stat. 1029 (2010) is found to be unconstitutional in its entirety by a final decision of a federal court of competent jurisdiction and all appeals exhausted or time for appeals elapsed.")

Source: SL 2011, ch 219, § 2.

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