Terms Used In Montana Code > Title 50 > Chapter 16 > Part 5 - Uniform Health Care Information

• 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.
• Audit: means an assessment, evaluation, determination, or investigation of a health care provider by a person not employed by or affiliated with the provider, to determine compliance with:

  (a)statutory, regulatory, fiscal, medical, or scientific standards;

  (b)a private or public program of payments to a health care provider; or

  (c)requirements for licensing, accreditation, or certification. See Montana Code 50-16-504

• 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}
• 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.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• 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.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• 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.
• General health condition: means the patient's health status described in terms of critical, poor, fair, good, excellent, or terms denoting similar conditions. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• 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.
• Health care: means any care, service, or procedure provided by a health care provider, including medical or psychological diagnosis, treatment, evaluation, advice, or other services that affect the structure or any function of the human body. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• Health care facility: means a hospital, clinic, nursing home, laboratory, office, or similar place where a health care provider provides health care to patients. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• Health care information: means any information, whether oral or recorded in any form or medium, that identifies or can readily be associated with the identity of a patient and relates to the patient's health care. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• Health care provider: means a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the laws of this state to provide health care in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• Institutional review board: means a board, committee, or other group formally designated by an institution or authorized under federal or state law to review, approve the initiation of, or conduct periodic review of research programs to assure the protection of the rights and welfare of human research subjects. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Patient: means an individual who receives or has received health care. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• Peer review: means an evaluation of health care services by a committee of a state or local professional organization of health care providers or a committee of medical staff of a licensed health care facility. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or other legal or commercial entity. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Process: means a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings. See Montana Code 1-1-202
• Reasonable fee: means the charge, as provided for in 50-16-540, for duplicating, searching for, or handling recorded health care information. See Montana Code 50-16-504
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Writing: includes printing. See Montana Code 1-1-203