As used in this chapter:

(a) “Ancillary benefit plan” means a policy or contract written or administered by a participating carrier that covers dental or vision benefits for the covered eligible employees of an employer or small employer and their dependents.

(b) “Appropriate Regulatory Authority” means the Department of Insurance except for health care service plans, in which case it means the Department of Managed Health Care.

(c) “Benefit plan design” means a specific health coverage product issued by a carrier to employers or small employers, to trustees of associations, or to individuals if the coverage is offered through employment or sponsored by an employer or small employer. It includes the services covered and the levels of copayment and deductibles.

(d) “Board” means the governing body of the purchasing alliance. This term shall include the board of directors of a nonprofit corporation or trust, a for-profit corporation, the general partners of a partnership, or a sole proprietor.

(e) “Carrier” means any licensed disability insurance company or licensed health care service plan or any other entity that writes, issues, or administers any health benefit plan or ancillary benefit plan to employers or small employers in this state.

(f) “Commissioner” means the Insurance Commissioner, who shall have regulatory jurisdiction over purchasing alliances.

(g) “Dependent” has the same meaning as in the subdivision (a) of § 1357 of the Health and Safety Code and in subdivision (e) of Section 10700 of this code.

(h) “Eligible employee” means any permanent employee who is actively engaged on a full-time basis in the conduct of business of the employer or small employer and, who has satisfied any employer or small employer waiting period requirements. The term includes sole proprietors or partners of a partnership if they are actively engaged on a full-time basis in the employer’s or small employer’s business, but does not include employees who work on a part-time, temporary, or substitute basis.

(i) “Employer” means any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other business entity doing business in this state that may be eligible to participate in a purchasing alliance. The term “employer” shall not include “small employer” as defined in subdivision (s).

(j) “Enrollee” means an eligible employee or a dependent of an eligible employee who is enrolled in a health benefit plan or ancillary benefit plan offered through the purchasing alliance by a participating carrier.

(k)”Health benefit plan” means a policy or contract written or administered by a participating carrier that arranges or provides health care benefits for the covered eligible employees of an employer or small employer and their dependents. The term does not include accident only, credit, dental, vision, disability income, or long-term care insurance, coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance, automobile medical payments insurance, or insurance under which benefits are payable with or without regard to fault and is statutorily required to be continued in any liability insurance policy or equivalent self-insurance.

(l) “Management company” means the company under contract to the purchasing alliance to provide managerial services for the operation of the purchasing alliance.

(m) “Participating carrier” means a carrier that contracts with a purchasing alliance to provide coverage to enrollees under a health benefit plan or ancillary benefit plan.

(n) “Participating employer” means an employer or small employer who contracts with a purchasing alliance to provide coverage to the employer’s or small employer’s employees.

(o) “Purchasing alliance” means a non-risk-bearing entity issued a certificate of registration pursuant to this chapter to provide health benefits through multiple unaffiliated participating carriers to multiple participating employers, small employers and their employees within this state as authorized by the commissioner. That entity shall include nonprofit corporations, for-profit corporations, trusts, partnerships, and sole proprietorships.

(p) “Risk adjustment factor” for small employer benefit plan designs and contracts has the same meaning as in subdivision (j) of § 1357 of the Health and Safety Code and in subdivision (u) of Section 10700 of this code.

(q) “Service region” means that portion of the state, designated by the commissioner pursuant to regulations as described in this chapter in which each purchasing alliance must fairly and affirmatively offer, market, and sell all of the health benefit plan designs offered through the purchasing alliance that are sold or offered to a small employer to all small employers.

(r) “Small employer” has the same meaning as in paragraph (1) of subdivision (l) of § 1357 of the Health and Safety Code and in paragraph (1) of subdivision (w) of Section 10700 of this code.

(s) “Third-party administrator” means the company contracted by the purchasing alliance to provide administrative services for the purchasing alliance and that is licensed to provide those services by the department pursuant to Section 1759.10.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 857, Sec. 70. Effective January 1, 2001.)