HARRY HUGHES, Governor                                     2471

(i) Shall provide comprehensive medical and
other health care for indigent individuals or medically indigent
individuals or both; and

(ii) May include bedside nursing care for
eligible Program recipients.

(b) (1) (i) In this subsection the following words have the
meanings indicated.

(ii) "Certified nurse practitioner" means a
registered nurse who is licensed in this State, has completed a
nurse practitioner program approved by the State Board of
Examiners of Nurses, and has passed an examination approved by
that Board.

(III) "NURSE ANESTHETIST" MEANS A REGISTERED
NURSE WHO IS:

1.  CERTIFIED UNDER THE HEALTH
OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE TO PRACTICE NURSE ANESTHESIA; AND

2.  CERTIFIED BY THE COUNCIL ON
CERTIFICATION OR THE COUNCIL ON RECERTIFICATION OF NURSE
ANESTHETISTS.

[(iii)] (IV) "Nurse midwife" means a registered
nurse who is licensed in this State and has been certified by the
American College of Nurse-Midwives as a nurse midwife.

[(iv)] (V) "Optometrist" has the meaning stated
in § 10-101 of the Health Occupations Article.

(2)  The Secretary may contract for the provision of
care under the Program to eligible Program recipients.

(3)  The Secretary may contract with insurance
companies or nonprofit health service plans or with individuals,
associations, partnerships, incorporated or unincorporated groups
of physicians, chiropractors, dentists, podiatrists,
optometrists, pharmacists, hospitals, nursing homes, nurses,
including NURSE ANESTHETISTS, nurse midwives and certified nurse
practitioners, opticians, and other health practitioners who are
licensed or certified in this State and perform services on the
prescription or referral of a physician.

(4)  For the purposes of this section, [the] A
NURSE ANESTHETIST AND A nurse midwife need not be under the
supervision of a physician.

(5)  A contract that the Secretary makes under this
subsection shall be for a 1-year period and may be renewed.