655.002 Applicability.

(1) Mandatory participation. Except as provided in s. 655.003, this chapter applies to all of the following:

(a) A physician or a nurse anesthetist for whom this state is a principal place of practice and who practices his or her profession in this state more than 240 hours in a fiscal year.

(b) A physician or a nurse anesthetist for whom Michigan is a principal place of practice, if all of the following apply:

1. The physician or nurse anesthetist is a resident of this state.

2. The physician or nurse anesthetist practices his or her profession in this state or in Michigan or a combination of both more than 240 hours in a fiscal year.

3. The physician or nurse anesthetist performs more procedures in a Michigan hospital than in any other hospital. In this subdivision, “Michigan hospital" means a hospital located in Michigan that is an affiliate of a corporation organized under the laws of this state that maintains its principal office and a hospital in this state.

(c) A physician or nurse anesthetist who is exempt under s. 655.003 (1) or (3), but who practices his or her profession outside the scope of the exemption and who fulfills the requirements under par. (a) in relation to that practice outside the scope of the exemption. For a physician or a nurse anesthetist who is subject to this chapter under this paragraph, this chapter applies only to claims arising out of practice that is outside the scope of the exemption under s. 655.003 (1) or (3).

(d) A partnership comprised of physicians or nurse anesthetists and organized and operated in this state for the primary purpose of providing the medical services of physicians or nurse anesthetists.

(e) A corporation organized and operated in this state for the primary purpose of providing the medical services of physicians or nurse anesthetists.

(em) Any organization or enterprise not specified under par. (d) or (e) that is organized and operated in this state for the primary purpose of providing the medical services of physicians or nurse anesthetists.

(f) A cooperative health care association organized under s. 185.981 that operates nonprofit health care plans in this state and that directly provides services through salaried employees in its own facility.

(g) An ambulatory surgery center that operates in this state.

(h) A hospital, as defined in s. 50.33 (2) (a) and (c), that operates in this state.

(i) An entity operated in this state that is an affiliate of a hospital and that provides diagnosis or treatment of, or care for, patients of the hospital.

(j) A nursing home, as defined in s. 50.01 (3), whose operations are combined as a single entity with a hospital described in par. (h), whether or not the nursing home operations are physically separate from the hospital operations.

(2) Optional participation. All of the following may elect, in the manner designated by the commissioner by rule under s. 655.004, to be subject to this chapter:

(a) A physician or nurse anesthetist for whom this state is a principal place of practice but who practices his or her profession fewer than 241 hours in a fiscal year, for a fiscal year, or a portion of a fiscal year, during which he or she practices his or her profession.

(b) Except as provided in sub. (1) (b), a physician or nurse anesthetist for whom this state is not a principal place of practice, for a fiscal year, or a portion of a fiscal year, during which he or she practices his or her profession in this state. For a health care provider who elects to be subject to this chapter under this paragraph, this chapter applies only to claims arising out of practice that is in this state and that is outside the scope of an exemption under s. 655.003 (1) or (3).

(c) A graduate medical education program that operates in this state. For a graduate medical education program that elects to be subject to this chapter under this paragraph, this chapter applies only to claims arising out of practice that is in this state and that is outside the scope of an exemption under s. 655.003 (1) or (3).

History: 1987 a. 27; 1991 a. 214; 2005 a. 36, 51; 2009 a. 165.

In an action governed by ch. 655, no claim may be brought by adult children for loss of society and companionship of an adult parent; s. 895.04 is inapplicable to ch. 655 actions. Dziadosz v. Zirneski, 177 Wis. 2d 59, 501 N.W.2d 828 (Ct. App. 1993).

In an action governed by ch. 655, no recovery may be had by a parent for the loss of society and companionship of an adult child. Wells Estate v. Mt. Sinai Medical Center, 183 Wis. 2d 666, 515 N.W.2d 705 (1994).

Chapter 655 does not control all actions against HMO's. It applies only to negligent medical acts or decisions made in the course of rendering medical care. A bad faith tort action may be prosecuted against an HMO that has denied a request for coverage without a legal basis. McEvoy v. Group Health Cooperative, 213 Wis. 2d 507, 570 N.W.2d 397 (1997), 96-0908.