(2) " Health care provider" includes the agents and employees of a facility
who are licensed or otherwise authorized to provide health care, the officers and
directors of a facility, and the agents and employees of a health care provider who are
licensed or otherwise authorized to provide health care.

(e) " Health care practitioner" means any person that provides health care
services and is licensed under the Health Occupations Article.

(f) " Health care service" means any health or medical care procedure or service
rendered by a health care practitioner that:

(1) Provides testing, diagnosis, or treatment of human disease or
dysfunction; or

(2) Dispenses drugs, medical devices, medical appliances, or medical
goods for the treatment of human disease or dysfunction.

(G) " NURSING FACILITY" HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 19-1401 OF THIS
TITLE.

[(g)] (H) (1) " Office facility" means the office of one or more health care
practitioners in which health care services are provided to individuals.

(2) " Office facility" includes a facility that provides:
(i) Ambulatory surgery;

(ii) Radiological or diagnostic imagery; or

(iii) Laboratory services.

(3) " Office facility" does not include any office, facility, or service operated
by a hospital and regulated under Subtitle 2 of this title.

[(h)] (I) " Payor" means:

(1) A health insurer or nonprofit health service plan that holds a
certificate of authority and provides health insurance policies or contracts in the State
in accordance with this article or the Insurance Article;

(2) A health maintenance organization that holds a certificate of
authority in the State; or

(3) A third party administrator as defined in § 15-111 of the Insurance

Article.
19-1508.

(D) (1) THE COMMISSION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING, SHALL:

(I) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2001, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A
SYSTEM TO COMPARATIVELY EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF CARE AND PERFORMANCE
OF NURSING FACILITIES ON AN OBJECTIVE BASIS; AND