As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:
- “Free clinic” means a not for profit, out-patient, nonhospital facility in which a health care provider engages in the voluntary provision of health care services to patients without charge to the recipient of the services or to a third party;
- “Health care provider” means any physician, surgeon, dentist, nurse, optometrist or other practitioner of a health care discipline, the professional practice of which requires licensure or certification under this title or under a comparable provision of law of another state, territory, district or possession of the United States;
- “Licensed health care provider” means any health care provider holding a current license or certificate issued under:
- This title; or
- A comparable provision of the law of another state, territory, district or possession of the United States;
- “Regularly practice” means to practice for more than sixty (60) days within any ninety-day period;
- “Sponsoring organization” means any organization that organizes or arranges for the voluntary provision of health care services and that registers with the department of health as a sponsoring organization in accordance with § 63-6-706 and charges recipients based on one (1) of the following criteria:
- On a sliding scale according to income;
- A fee at the time of service of no more than fifty dollars ($50.00); or
- No fee to the recipient; and
- “Voluntary provision of health care services” means the providing of professional health care services by the health care provider either without charge to the recipient of the services or to a third party, or recipients are charged on a sliding scale according to income. Nothing shall preclude a health care provider from collecting the charges described in subdivision (5)(B) on behalf of the sponsoring organization as long as the health care provider retains none of the payment and forwards all collections to the sponsoring organization.