Sec. 163. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c), “health care provider”, for purposes of IC 16-21 and IC 16-41, means any of the following:

(1) An individual, a partnership, a corporation, a professional corporation, a facility, or an institution licensed or legally authorized by this state to provide health care or professional services as a licensed physician, a psychiatric hospital, a hospital, a health facility, an emergency ambulance service (IC 16-31-3), a dentist, a registered or licensed practical nurse, a midwife, an optometrist, a pharmacist, a podiatrist, a chiropractor, a physical therapist, a respiratory care practitioner, an occupational therapist, a psychologist, a paramedic, an emergency medical technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, an athletic trainer, or a person who is an officer, employee, or agent of the individual, partnership, corporation, professional corporation, facility, or institution acting in the course and scope of the person’s employment.

(2) A college, university, or junior college that provides health care to a student, a faculty member, or an employee, and the governing board or a person who is an officer, employee, or agent of the college, university, or junior college acting in the course and scope of the person’s employment.

(3) A blood bank, community mental health center, community intellectual disability center, community health center, or migrant health center.

(4) A home health agency (as defined in IC 16-27-1-2).

(5) A health maintenance organization (as defined in IC 27-13-1-19).

(6) A health care organization whose members, shareholders, or partners are health care providers under subdivision (1).

(7) A corporation, partnership, or professional corporation not otherwise qualified under this subsection that:

(A) provides health care as one (1) of the corporation’s, partnership’s, or professional corporation’s functions;

(B) is organized or registered under state law; and

(C) is determined to be eligible for coverage as a health care provider under IC 34-18 for the corporation’s, partnership’s, or professional corporation’s health care function.

Coverage for a health care provider qualified under this subdivision is limited to the health care provider’s health care functions and does not extend to other causes of action.

     (b) “Health care provider”, for purposes of IC 16-35, has the meaning set forth in subsection (a). However, for purposes of IC 16-35, the term also includes a health facility (as defined in section 167 of this chapter).

     (c) “Health care provider”, for purposes of IC 16-32-5, IC 16-36-5, IC 16-36-6, and IC 16-41-10 means an individual licensed or authorized by this state to provide health care or professional services as:

(1) a licensed physician;

(2) a registered nurse;

(3) a licensed practical nurse;

(4) an advanced practice registered nurse;

(5) a certified nurse midwife;

(6) a paramedic;

(7) an emergency medical technician;

(8) an advanced emergency medical technician;

(9) an emergency medical responder, as defined by section 109.8 of this chapter;

(10) a licensed dentist;

(11) a home health aide, as defined by section 174 of this chapter; or

(12) a licensed physician assistant.

The term includes an individual who is an employee or agent of a health care provider acting in the course and scope of the individual’s employment.

     (d) “Health care provider”, for purposes of IC 16-36-7, has the meaning set forth in IC 16-36-7-12.

     (e) “Health care provider”, for purposes of IC 16-40-4, means any of the following:

(1) An individual, a partnership, a corporation, a professional corporation, a facility, or an institution licensed or authorized by the state to provide health care or professional services as a licensed physician, a psychiatric hospital, a hospital, a health facility, an emergency ambulance service (IC 16-31-3), an ambulatory outpatient surgical center, a dentist, an optometrist, a pharmacist, a podiatrist, a chiropractor, a psychologist, or a person who is an officer, employee, or agent of the individual, partnership, corporation, professional corporation, facility, or institution acting in the course and scope of the person’s employment.

(2) A blood bank, laboratory, community mental health center, community intellectual disability center, community health center, or migrant health center.

(3) A home health agency (as defined in IC 16-27-1-2).

(4) A health maintenance organization (as defined in IC 27-13-1-19).

(5) A health care organization whose members, shareholders, or partners are health care providers under subdivision (1).

(6) A corporation, partnership, or professional corporation not otherwise specified in this subsection that:

(A) provides health care as one (1) of the corporation’s, partnership’s, or professional corporation’s functions;

(B) is organized or registered under state law; and

(C) is determined to be eligible for coverage as a health care provider under IC 34-18 for the corporation’s, partnership’s, or professional corporation’s health care function.

(7) A person that is designated to maintain the records of a person described in subdivisions (1) through (6).

     (f) “Health care provider”, for purposes of IC 16-45-4, has the meaning set forth in 47 C.F.R. § 54.601(a).

[Pre-1993 Recodification Citations: 16-1-9.5-9; 16-8-11-3; 16-8-12-1(3).]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.26-1994, SEC.7; P.L.188-1995, SEC.1; P.L.1-1998, SEC.116; P.L.148-1999, SEC.6; P.L.205-2003, SEC.17; P.L.95-2005, SEC.1; P.L.108-2007, SEC.2; P.L.77-2012, SEC.11; P.L.164-2013, SEC.3; P.L.232-2013, SEC.1; P.L.139-2014, SEC.1; P.L.92-2015, SEC.2; P.L.117-2015, SEC.31; P.L.67-2018, SEC.2; P.L.129-2018, SEC.8; P.L.2-2019, SEC.5; P.L.112-2020, SEC.5; P.L.50-2021, SEC.17; P.L.179-2022(ss), SEC.4.