Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 56 > Chapter 30 - Dental Service Plan Law, 1961

• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Beneficiary: means a person designated in the subscription certificate referred to in subdivision (10), as entitled to the dental services referred to in subdivision (10). See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Chief officer: means the person with overall authority for a public or private hospital, developmental center, treatment resource, or developmental disabilities service or facility, or the person's designee. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Codicil: An addition, change, or supplement to a will executed with the same formalities required for the will itself.
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of commerce and insurance. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Commissioner: means the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services when the statute at issue relates to mental illness or serious emotional disturbance and means the commissioner of intellectual and developmental disabilities when the statute at issue relates to intellectual and developmental disabilities. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Community mental health center: includes for profit corporations and private entities qualified as tax exempt organizations under Internal Revenue Code, §. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Consent: means voluntary agreement to what is reasonably well understood regardless of how the agreement is expressed. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• County mayor: means and includes "county executive" unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Dental service: means professional services rendered by persons duly licensed under the laws of this state to practice dentistry and all services defined as constituting the practice of dentistry as set out in title 63, chapter 5. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Department: means the department of mental health and substance abuse services when the statute at issue deals with mental illness or serious emotional disturbance and means the department of intellectual and developmental disabilities when the statute at issue deals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Department: means the department of commerce and insurance. See Tennessee Code 56-1-102
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Hospital: means a public or private hospital or facility or part of a hospital or facility equipped to provide inpatient care and treatment for persons with mental illness or serious emotional disturbance. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Indigent person: means a service recipient whose resources, including property, assets, and income, are insufficient, under chapter 2, part 11 of this title, to pay for the cost of providing services and supports and who does not have a responsible relative or other legally responsible person who is able to pay for the cost of providing the services and supports. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• insurance company: includes all corporations, associations, partnerships, or individuals engaged as principals in the business of insurance. See Tennessee Code 56-1-102
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Licensed physician: means a graduate of an accredited medical school authorized to confer upon graduates the degree of doctor of medicine (M. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Mental illness: means a psychiatric disorder, alcohol dependence, or drug dependence, but does not include intellectual disability or other developmental disabilities. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Nonprofit dental service corporation: means any corporation organized pursuant to this chapter for the purpose of establishing, maintaining and operating a nonprofit dental service plan, and that employs the service benefit concept in the majority of the programs it administers. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Nonprofit dental service plan: means a plan whereby specified dental service is provided by a nonprofit dental service corporation to subscribers to the plan. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Participating dentist: means a dentist licensed to practice dentistry in this state under title 63, chapter 5, who contracts in writing with a dental service plan corporation to perform the dental services specified in the subscription certificates issued by the corporation, and at the rates of compensation determined by the board of directors of the corporation, and who agrees to abide by the bylaws, rules and regulations of the corporation applicable to participating dentists. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Person: includes a natural person, a corporation, an association, a common law trust or corporation. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Qualified mental health professional: means a person who is licensed in the state, if required for the profession, and who is a psychiatrist. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Serious emotional disturbance: means a condition in a child who currently or at any time during the past year has had a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet psychiatric diagnostic criteria that results in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits the child's role or functioning in family, school, or community activities and includes any mental disorder, regardless of whether it is of biological etiology. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Service benefit concept: means a type of dental benefit contract between a beneficiary and a third party payer, whereby the beneficiary is guaranteed no out-of-pocket expenses for covered services beyond any agreed on cost sharing stipulated in the contract. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Service recipient: means a person who is receiving service, has applied for service, or for whom someone has applied for or proposed service because the person has mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, or a developmental disability. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Sex crime: means any offense involving the unlawful sexual abuse, molestation, fondling, or carnal knowledge of a child of fourteen (14) years of age or under or incest, a crime against nature, assault with intent to commit rape or rape. See Tennessee Code 33-6-801
• signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subscriber: means a person to whom a subscription certificate is issued by a dental care service plan corporation that sets forth the beneficiaries and the kind and extent of dental service for which the corporation is liable to make payment. See Tennessee Code 56-30-102
• Subscription: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Support: means any activity or resource that enables a service recipient to participate in a service for mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, or developmental disabilities or in community life. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Treatment resource: means any public or private facility, service, or program providing treatment or rehabilitation services for mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, including, but not limited to, detoxification centers, hospitals, community mental health centers, clinics or programs, halfway houses, and rehabilitation centers. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.
• written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105