31-8-162. Definitions.

As used in this article, the term:

“Department” means the Department of Community Health created by Chapter 2 of this title.#

“Medically indigent” means a person who meets the state-wide standards of indigency adopted by the department.#

“Nursing home” means a freestanding facility or distinct part or unit of a hospital required to be licensed or permitted as a nursing home under the provisions of Chapter 7 of this title which is not owned or operated by the state or federal government.#

“Nursing home that disproportionately serves the medically indigent” means a nursing home for which the patient days attributable to medically indigent residents account for more than 15 percent of the nursing home’s total patient days during a 12 month period. For purposes of this computation, medicare program patient days shall not be included in the nursing home’s total patient days.#

“Patient day” means a day of care provided to an individual resident of a nursing home by the nursing home. A patient day includes the date of admission but does not include the date of discharge, unless the dates of admission and discharge occur on the same day.#

“Provider fee” means the fee imposed pursuant to this article for the privilege of operating a nursing home.#

“Segregated account” means an account for the dedication and deposit of provider fees which is established within the Indigent Care Trust Fund created pursuant to Code Section 31-8-152.#

“State plan” means all documentation submitted by the commissioner of the Department of Community Health on behalf of the department to and for approval by the United States secretary of health and human services, pursuant to Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act.#

“Trust fund” means the Indigent Care Trust Fund created pursuant to Code Section 31-8-152.#

“Waiver” means a waiver of the uniform tax requirement for permissible health care related taxes, as provided in 42 C.F.R. Section 433.68(e)(2)(i) and (ii).#