For the purposes of this Act, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth in this section, unless different meanings are plainly indicated by the context:
(a) "Health Services Plan Corporation" means a corporation organized under the terms of this Act for the purpose of establishing and operating a voluntary health services plan and providing other medically related services.(b) "Voluntary health services plan" means either a plan or system under which medical, hospital, nursing and relating health services may be rendered to a subscriber or beneficiary at the expense of a health services plan corporation, or any contractual arrangement to provide, either directly or through arrangements with others, dental care services to subscribers and beneficiaries.(c) "Subscriber" means a natural person to whom a subscription certificate has been issued by a health services plan corporation. Persons eligible under Section 5-2 of the Illinois Public Aid Code may be subscribers if a written agreement exists, as specified in Section 25 of this Act, between the Health Services Plan Corporation and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. A subscription certificate may be issued to such persons at no cost.(d) "Beneficiary" means a person designated in a subscription certificate as one entitled to receive health services.(e) "Health services" means those services ordinarily rendered by physicians licensed in Illinois to practice medicine in all of its branches, by podiatric physicians licensed in Illinois to practice podiatric medicine, by dentists and dental surgeons licensed to practice in Illinois, by nurses registered in Illinois, by dental hygienists licensed to practice in Illinois, and by assistants and technicians acting under professional supervision; it likewise means hospital services as usually and customarily rendered in Illinois, and the compounding and dispensing of drugs and medicines by pharmacists and assistant pharmacists registered in Illinois.(f) "Subscription certificate" means a certificate issued to a subscriber by a health services plan corporation, setting forth the terms and conditions upon which health services shall be rendered to a subscriber or a beneficiary.(g) "Physician rendering service for a plan" means a physician licensed in Illinois to practice medicine in all of its branches who has undertaken or agreed, upon terms and conditions acceptable both to himself and to the health services plan corporation involved, to furnish medical service to the plan's subscribers and beneficiaries.(h) "Dentist or dental surgeon rendering service for a plan" means a dentist or dental surgeon licensed in Illinois to practice dentistry or dental surgery who has undertaken or agreed, upon terms and conditions acceptable both to himself and to the health services plan corporation involved, to furnish dental or dental surgical services to the plan's subscribers and beneficiaries.(i) "Director" means the Director of Insurance of the State of Illinois.(j) "Person" means any of the following: a natural person, corporation, partnership or unincorporated association.(k) "Podiatric physician or podiatric surgeon rendering service for a plan" means any podiatric physician or podiatric surgeon licensed in Illinois to practice podiatry, who has undertaken or agreed, upon terms and conditions acceptable both to himself and to the health services plan corporation involved, to furnish podiatric or podiatric surgical services to the plan's subscribers and beneficiaries. Amended by P.A. 098-0214,§ 30, eff. 8/9/2013.Amended by P.A. 095-0331,§ 675, eff. 8/21/2007.