As used in this part:

1. (1) “Group health insurance coverage” or “group health insurance policy” means health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan;

2. (2) “Group health plan” means an employee welfare benefit plan to the extent that the plan provides medical care, including items and services paid for as medical care, to employees or their dependents as defined under the terms of the plan directly or through:

   1. (A) Insurance;
   2. (B) Reimbursement; or
   3. (C) Otherwise;
3. (3) “Health insurance coverage” means benefits consisting of medical care, provided directly, through insurance, reimbursement, or otherwise and including items and services paid for as medical care, under any hospital or medical service policy or certificate, hospital or medical service plan contract, or health maintenance organization contract offered by a health insurance issuer;

4. (4) “Health insurance issuer” or “issuer” means an insurance company, insurance service, or insurance organization, including a health maintenance organization, that is:

   1. (A) Licensed to engage in the business of insurance in a state; and
   2. (B) Subject to Arkansas law that regulates insurance;

5. (5) “Health maintenance organization” means:

   1. (A) A federally qualified health maintenance organization as defined in Section 1301(a) of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300e(a);
   2. (B) An organization recognized under state law as a health maintenance organization; or
   3. (C) A similar organization regulated under state law for solvency in the same manner and to the same extent as a health maintenance organization;

6. (6) “Medical care” means:

   1. (A) Amounts paid for or services provided for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or amounts paid for the purpose of affecting any structure or function of the body; or
   2. (B) The amounts paid for transportation primarily for and essential to medical care; and

7. (7)

   1. (A) “Plan sponsor” means:

      1. (i) The employer in the case of an employee benefit plan established or maintained by a single employer;
      2. (ii) The employee organization in the case of a plan established or maintained by an employee organization; or
      3. (iii) In the case of a plan established or maintained by two (2) or more employers or jointly by one (1) or more employers and one (1) or more employee organizations, the association, committee, joint board of trustees, or other similar group of representatives of the parties who establish or maintain the plan.
   2. (B) Where a health insurance issuer provides health insurance coverage for the group health plan, the plan sponsor is the policyholder.