As used in this section and sections 42-491 and 42-492:

1. (1) “Contracting entity” means any entity that contracts directly with a health care provider (A) for the delivery of health care services, or (B) for the selling, leasing, renting, assigning or granting of access to a contract or terms of a contract. For the purposes of this section, a health care provider is not a contracting entity.
2. (2) “Covered entity” means any entity that has not contracted directly with a health care provider but that buys, leases, rents, is assigned or accesses a contract or terms of a contract with a health care provider, that is responsible for (A) the payment or coordination of health care services, or (B) the establishment or extension of health care provider networks.
3. (3) “Health care provider” means any physician, physician group, physician network, independent practice association, physician organization or physician hospital organization.
4. (4) A contracting entity sells, leases, rents, assigns or grants access to a contract or terms of a contract to a covered entity for the purposes of this section and sections 42-491 and 42-492 when such contracting entity is not involved in the administration of the benefit plan responsible for the payment of health care services provided by such plan.

(P.A. 08-126, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 08-126 effective January 1, 2009.