Wisconsin Statutes Insurance (Ch. 600 to 655) § 655.001. Definitions

(1) “Board of governors” means the board created under s. 619.04(3).

(2) “Claimant” means the person filing a request for mediation under s. 655.44 or 655.445.

(4) “Department” means the department of health services.

(6) “Fiscal year” means the period beginning on July 1 and ending on the following June 30.

(7) “Fund” means the injured patients and families compensation fund under s. 655.27.

(7m) “Graduate medical education program” means a program approved by the medical examining board that provides postgraduate medical education and training for a person who possesses a diploma from a medical or osteopathic college or who has the equivalent education and experience from a foreign medical school recognized by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates.

(7t) “Health care practitioner” means a health care professional, as defined in s. 180.1901(1m), who is an employee of a health care provider described in s. 655.002(1)(d), (e), (em), or (f) and who has the authority to provide health care services that are not in collaboration with a physician under s. 441.15(2)(b) or under the direction and supervision of a physician or nurse anesthetist.

(8) “Health care provider” means a person to whom this chapter applies under s. 655.002(1) or a person who elects to be subject to this chapter under s. 655.002(2).

(8c) “Insurer” includes a foreign insurer that is a risk retention group that issues health care liability insurance under this chapter.

(9) “Nurse anesthetist” means a nurse who is licensed under ch. 441 or who holds a multistate license, as defined in s. 441.51(2)(h), issued in a party state, as defined in s. 441.51(2)(k), and who is certified as a nurse anesthetist by the American association of nurse anesthetists.

(10) “Patient” means an individual who received or should have received health care services from a health care provider or from an employee of a health care provider acting within the scope of his or her employment.

(10m) “Physician” means a medical or osteopathic physician licensed under ch. 448.

(11) “Principal place of practice” means any of the following:

(12) “Representative” means the personal representative, spouse, parent, guardian, attorney or other legal agent of a patient.

(13) “Respondent” means the person alleged to have been negligent in a request for mediation filed under s. 655.44 or 655.445.

(14) “Self-insurance plan” means a plan approved by the commissioner to self-insure health care providers against medical malpractice claims in accordance with this chapter. A “self-insurance plan” may provide coverage to a single health care provider or affiliated health care providers.