§27-54-2. Definitions.

For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) DAY TREATMENT SERVICES. Includes, but is not limited to: Physiological, psychological, and psychosocial concepts, techniques, and processes necessary to maintain or develop functional skills of clients, provided to individuals and groups for periods of more than two hours but less than 24 hours a day.

(2) HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN. A health care service plan governed by the provisions of Article 6, Chapter 4, Title 10, and a group health insurance policy, including an employee welfare health benefit plan, that covers hospital, medical, or surgical expenses, issued by insurers, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, medical service organizations, physician-hospital organizations, or any other person, firm, corporation, joint venture, or other similar business entity that pays for, purchases, or furnishes health care services to patients, insureds, or beneficiaries in this state. For the purposes of this chapter, a group health benefit plan located or domiciled outside of the State of Alabama is deemed to be subject to the provisions of this chapter if it receives, processes, adjudicates, pays, or denies claims for health care services submitted by or on behalf of patients, insureds, or beneficiaries who reside in the State of Alabama or who receive health care services in the State of Alabama.

(3) INPATIENT SERVICES. Includes, but is not limited to: A range of physiological, psychological, and other intervention concepts, techniques, and processes used in a community mental health psychiatric inpatient unit, general hospital psychiatric unit or psychiatric hospital licensed by the Department of Health, or in an accredited public hospital to restore psychosocial functioning sufficient to allow maintenance and support of the client in a less restrictive setting.

(4) OUTPATIENT SERVICES. Includes, but is not limited to: Screening, evaluation, consultations, diagnosis, and treatment involving use of physiological, psychological and psychosocial evaluative and interventive concepts, techniques, and processes provided to individuals and groups.

(5) PROVIDER. An appropriately licensed mental health professional, an accredited public hospital or psychiatric hospital, or a community agency certified as a community mental health center by the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. All agency or institutional providers named in this subdivision shall ensure that services are supervised by an appropriately licensed mental health professional.

In the case of service benefit plans which provide coverage for mental illness services through a limited network of selected mental health providers, the term "provider" means a person or entity who is duly selected and participating via contract or other arrangement with the insurer or other issuer of benefit coverage under selection criteria, including the designation of types of providers for which coverage is provided as well as credentialing used in the selection of providers, solely determined by such issuer.

(Act 2000-386, p. 605, §3.)