For purposes of this chapter:
(1) The terms “affiliate,” “control,” and “subsidiary” shall have the meanings ascribed to them in § 5001 of this title.
(2) “Ancillary services” includes, but is not limited to, audiology, dental, vision, mental health, substance abuse, chiropractic and podiatry services. “Ancillary services” do not include services which are unrelated to medical care, and do not include the sale of eyeglasses or hearing aids if such sale does not involve, respectively, a vision or hearing examination or other medical treatment.
(3) “Commissioner” means the Insurance Commissioner of this State.
(4) a. “Discount medical plan” means a business arrangement or contract in which a person, in exchange for consideration paid by members, offers access for its 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.
b. “Discount medical plan” does not include:
1. A plan that does not charge consideration from a member to use the plan’s discount medical card; or
2. Any product already expressly authorized as insurance by the Commissioner pursuant to this title; or
3. Any physician or group of physicians or contracts regulated by the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline.
(5) “Discount medical plan organization” means an entity that, in exchange for consideration, provides access for discount medical plan members to providers of medical or ancillary services and the right to receive medical or ancillary services from those providers at a discount. It is the organization that contracts with providers, provider networks or other discount medical plan organizations to offer access to medical or ancillary services at a discount and determines the charge to discount medical plan members.
(6) a. “Facility” means an institution providing medical or ancillary services in a health-care setting.
b. “Facility” includes, but is not limited to:
1. A hospital or other licensed inpatient center;
2. An ambulatory surgical or treatment center;
3. A skilled nursing center;
4. A residential treatment center;
5. A rehabilitation center; and
6. A diagnostic laboratory or imaging center.
(7) “Health-care professional” means a physician, pharmacist or other health-care practitioner who is licensed, accredited or certified to perform specified medical or ancillary services within the scope of that practitioner’s license, accreditation, certification or other appropriate authority and consistent with state law.
(8) “Health carrier” means an entity subject to the insurance laws and regulations of this State, or subject to the jurisdiction of the Commissioner, that contracts or offers to contract to provide, deliver, arrange for, pay for or reimburse any of the costs of health-care services, including but not limited to an insurance company, health service corporation, health maintenance organization and any other entity providing a plan of health insurance or health benefits subject to state insurance regulation. “Health carrier” also includes any third-party administrator or other entity that adjusts, administers or settles claims in connection with health benefit plans.
(9) “Marketer” means a person or entity that markets, promotes, sells or distributes a discount medical plan, including a private label 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.
(10) a. “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.
b. “Medical services” includes, but is not limited to, physician care, inpatient care, hospital surgical services, emergency services, ambulance services, laboratory services and medical equipment and supplies.
c. “Medical services” does not include pharmacy services, and does not include the sale of eyeglasses or hearing aids if such sale does not involve, respectively, a vision or hearing examination or other medical treatment.
(11) “Member” means any individual who pays consideration for the right to receive the benefits of a discount medical plan.
(12) “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.
(13) “Provider network” means an entity that negotiates directly or indirectly with a discount medical plan organization on behalf of more than 1 provider to provide medical or ancillary services to members.