For the purposes of this article, the following words shall have the following meanings:

(1) CAPITATION PAYMENT. A payment the state Medicaid

Agency makes periodically to the integrated care network on behalf of each recipient enrolled under a contract for the provision of medical services pursuant to this article.

(2) COLLABORATOR. A private health carrier, third party purchaser, provider, health care center, health care facility, state and local governmental entity, or other public payers, corporations, individuals, and consumers who are expecting to collectively cooperate, negotiate, or contract with another collaborator, or integrated care network in the health care system.

(3) INTEGRATED CARE NETWORK. One or more statewide organizations of health care providers, with offices in each regional care organization region, that contracts with the Medicaid Agency to provide Medicaid benefits to certain Medicaid beneficiaries as defined in subdivision (4) and that meets the requirements set forth in this article. The number of integrated care networks shall be based on actuarial soundness as determined by the Medicaid Agency.

(4) MEDICAID BENEFICIARIES. As used in this article, those Medicaid beneficiaries who have been determined eligible for Medicaid benefits in a nursing facility or home and community based waiver programs covered by the Medicaid state plan, who have also been determined by a qualified provider to meet the level of care for skilled nursing facility services, and those Medicaid beneficiaries who are also eligible for Medicare coverage, under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, and who are assigned by Medicaid to the integrated care network.

(5) LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES. Medicaid-funded nursing facility services, home-based and community-based support services, or such other long-term care services as the Medicaid Agency may determine by rule provided to certain Medicaid beneficiaries defined in subdivision (4).

(6) MEDICAID AGENCY. The Alabama Medicaid Agency or any successor agency of the state designated as the single state agency to administer the medical assistance program described in Title XIX of the Social Security Act.

(7) QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISIONS. Specifications for assessing and improving the quality of care provided by the integrated care networks.

(8) REGIONAL CARE ORGANIZATION. An organization of health care providers that contracts with the Medicaid Agency to provide a comprehensive package of Medicaid benefits to Medicaid beneficiaries in a defined region of the state.

(9) RISK CONTRACT. A long-term care contract with a fully certified integrated care network under which the integrated care network assumes risk for the cost of the services covered under the contract and incurs loss if the cost of furnishing the services exceeds the payments under the contract and which is competitively bid or competitively procured.