The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

Home dialysis—Dialysis performed by an appropriately trained patient or patient partner at home.

MA—Medical Assistance.

Outpatient dialysis—Dialysis furnished on an outpatient basis under the auspices of a renal dialysis facility.

Patient partner—An individual trained to assist a patient in performing self-dialysis or home dialysis.

Renal dialysis—A process by which dissolved substances are removed from a patient’s body by diffusion from one fluid compartment to another across a semipermeable membrane.

Renal dialysis facility—A facility approved by the Department of Health to furnish dialysis services on an outpatient basis. A dialysis facility may be hospital based or may be operated independently of a hospital.

Self-renal dialysis—Dialysis performed at a facility with little or no professional assistance, by a dialysis patient or patient partner, who has completed an appropriate course of training.

Self-renal dialysis training and home renal dialysis training—A program that trains dialysis patients to perform self-dialysis or home dialysis with little or no professional assistance, and trains other individuals to assist patients in performing self-dialysis or home dialysis.

Staff-assisted dialysis—Dialysis performed by the staff of the center.