Maine Revised Statutes Title 22. Health and Welfare § 2084. Definitions

1. Bureau. “Bureau” means the Bureau of Insurance.

2. Facility. “Facility” means any sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, corporation or other business that provides health services.

3. Group practice. “Group practice” means a group of 2 or more health care practitioners legally organized as a partnership, professional corporation, nonprofit corporation or similar association in which:

4. Health care practitioner. “Health care practitioner” means an individual regulated under the laws of this State to provide health services. “Health care practitioners” include, without limitation, acupuncturists, chiropractors, dentists, dental hygienists, nurses, occupational therapists, optometrists, pharmacists, physical therapists, physicians including allopathic and osteopathic physicians, physician assistants, podiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, speech therapists and audiologists or hearing aid dealers and examiners.

5. Health services. “Health services” means diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitative services for an injured, disabled or sick person.

6. Immediate family member. “Immediate family member” means a health care practitioner's parent, spouse, child or child's spouse.

7. Investment interest. “Investment interest” means an equity or debt security issued by a facility, including, without limitation, shares of stock in a corporation, units or other interests in a partnership, bonds, debentures, notes or other equity interests or debt instruments, except that investment interest does not include interest in a hospital licensed under state law.

8. Investor. “Investor” means an individual who owns, whose immediate family owns or who directly or indirectly owns a controlling interest in another facility that owns an investment interest in a facility that provides health services.

9. Office practice. “Office practice” includes the facility or facilities at which a health care practitioner, on a regular basis, provides or supervises the provision of professional health services to individuals.

10. Referral. “Referral” means a referral of a patient for health services, including, without limitation: