(a)  Each nonprofit dental service corporation may contract with its subscribers for a dental service as may be provided under any nonprofit dental service plan adopted by the corporation.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 27-20.1-3

  • 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.
  • Dental service: means the professional services rendered by persons duly licensed under the laws of this state to practice dentistry, and prosthetic dentures, bridges, appliances, or other structures to be used and worn as substitutes for natural teeth, prosthetic appliances, orthodontic appliances, precious metal, and ceramic restorations, necessary in connection with the services and supplied by licensed persons, and drugs, medicines, supplies, and nursing care necessary in connection with the services, or expense indemnity for the services, prosthetic dentures, bridges, appliances, or other structures to be used and worn as substitutes for natural teeth, prosthetic appliances, orthodontic appliances, precious metal and ceramic restorations, drugs, medicines, supplies, and care, as may be specified in any nonprofit dental service plan. See Rhode Island General Laws 27-20.1-1
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • 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;

    (3)  "Nonprofit dental service plan" means a plan by which specified dental service is provided to subscribers to the plan by a nonprofit dental service corporation; and

    (4)  "Subscribers" means those persons or groups of persons who contract with a nonprofit dental service corporation for dental service pursuant to a nonprofit dental service plan. See Rhode Island General Laws 27-20.1-1

  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6

(b)  The rates charged by the nonprofit dental service corporation to its subscribers shall be consistent with the proper conduct of its business and the interests of the public and shall at all times be subject to the approval of the director of business regulation.

(c)  Nothing contained in this chapter or in any nonprofit dental service plan shall affect the ordinary professional relationship between the person rendering dental services under the plan and the subscriber to whom the services are rendered; and no action based upon or arising out of the relationship or relating to dental services rendered pursuant to a nonprofit dental service plan shall be maintained against the nonprofit dental service corporation operating the plan.

(d)  No contract between a nonprofit dental service corporation and a dentist for the provisions of services to patients may require that the dentist indemnify or hold harmless the nonprofit dental service corporation for any expenses and liabilities, including without limitation, judgments, settlements, attorneys’ fee, court costs, and any associated charges, incurred in connection with any claim or action brought against the nonprofit dental service corporation based on the nonprofit dental service corporation’s management decisions, or utilization review provisions for any patient.

History of Section.
P.L. 1959, ch. 183, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 481, § 4.