§33-15E-3. Definitions.

For purposes of this article:

(1) "Affiliate" means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the specified person.

(2) "Ancillary services" includes audiology, dental, vision, mental health, substance abuse, chiropractic and podiatry services.

(3) "Control" or "controlled by" or "under common control with" has the same meaning ascribed to them in subsection (d), section two, article forty-six of this chapter.

(4) "Discount medical plan" means a business arrangement or contract in which a person, in exchange for fees, dues, charges or other consideration, offers access for its plan members to providers of medical or ancillary services and the right to receive discounts on medical or ancillary services provided under the discount medical plan from those providers. "Discount medical plan" does not include any plan that does not charge a membership or other fee to use the plan's discount medical card.

(5) "Discount prescription drug plan" means a business arrangement or contract in which a person, in exchange for fees, dues, charges or other consideration, provides access for its plan members to providers of pharmacy services and the right to receive discounts on pharmacy services provided under the discount prescription drug plan from those providers. "Discount prescription drug plan" does not include:

(A) Any plan that does not charge a membership or other fee to use the plan's discount prescription drug card;

(B) A patient access program; or

(C) A Medicare prescription drug plan.

(6) "Discount medical plan organization" means an entity that contracts with providers, provider networks or other discount medical plan organizations to offer access to medical or ancillary services at a discount to plan members, provides access for discount medical plan members to the services in exchange for fees, dues, charges or other consideration, and determines the charges to plan members.

(7) "Discount prescription drug plan organization" means an entity that contracts with providers, pharmacy networks or other discount prescription drug plan organizations to offer access to pharmacy services to plan members at a discount, provides access for discount prescription drug plan members to the services in exchange for fees, dues, charges or other consideration, and determines the charges to plan members.

(8) "Facility" means an institution providing medical or ancillary services or a health care setting, including, hospitals or other licensed inpatient centers, ambulatory surgical or treatment centers, skilled nursing centers, residential treatment centers, rehabilitation centers or diagnostic laboratories or imaging centers.

(9) "Health care professional" means a physician, pharmacist or other health care practitioner who is licensed to perform specified medical or ancillary services within the scope of his or her license.

(10) "Marketer" means a person that markets, promotes, sells or distributes a discount medical plan, including any entity that places its name on and markets or distributes a discount medical plan pursuant to a marketing agreement with a discount medical plan organization.

(11) "Medical services" means any maintenance, care of or preventive care for the human body or care, service or treatment of an illness or dysfunction of or injury to the human body, and includes, physician care, inpatient care, hospital surgical services, emergency services, ambulance services, laboratory services and medical equipment and supplies. "Medical services" does not include pharmacy or ancillary services.

(12) "Medicare prescription drug plan" means a plan that provides a Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit in accordance with the requirements of the federal Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, Pub. L. 108-173 §101 et seq.

(13) "Member" means any person who pays fees, dues, charges or other consideration for the right to receive the benefits of a discount medical plan or discount prescription drug plan.

(14) "Patient access program" means a voluntary program sponsored by one or more pharmaceutical manufacturers that provides free or discounted health care products directly to low income or uninsured individuals either through a discount card or direct shipment.

(15) "Person" means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a joint venture, a joint stock company, a trust, an unincorporated organization, any similar entity or any combination of the foregoing.

(16) "Pharmacy services" includes pharmaceutical supplies and prescription drugs.

(17) "Provider" means any health care professional or facility that has contracted, directly or indirectly, with a discount medical plan organization to provide medical or ancillary services to members.

(18) "Provider network" means an entity that negotiates directly or indirectly with a discount medical plan organization on behalf of more than one provider to provide medical or ancillary services to members.