2023 Tennessee Code › Title 56 - INSURANCE (§§ 56-1-101 — 56-61-125) › Chapter 8 - UNFAIR COMPETITION AND UNFAIR OR DECEPTIVE PRACTICES (§§ 56-8-101 — 56-8-206) › Part 2 - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS HEALTH INSURANCE PROTECTION ACT (§§ 56-8-201 — 56-8-206) › Section 56-8-202 - Part definitions

As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1)
"Abuse" means the occurrence of one (1) or more of the following acts:
(A)
Attempting to cause or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing another person, including a minor child, bodily injury, physical harm, severe emotional distress, psychological trauma, rape, sexual assault or involuntary sexual intercourse;
(B)
Knowingly engaging in a course of conduct or repeatedly committing acts toward another person, including a minor child, including following the person or minor child without proper authority, under circumstances that place the person or minor child in reasonable fear of bodily injury or physical harm;
(C)
Subjecting another person, including a minor child, to false imprisonment; or
(D)
Attempting to cause or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing damage to property so as to intimidate or attempt to control the behavior of another person, including a minor child;
(2)
"Abuse-related medical condition" means a medical condition sustained by a subject of abuse that arises in whole or part out of an act or pattern of abuse;
(3)
"Abuse status" means the fact or perception that a person is, has been, or may be a subject of abuse, regardless of whether the person has sustained abuse-related medical conditions or has incurred abuse-related claims;
(4)
"Health benefit plan" or "plan" means a policy, contract, certificate or agreement offered by a carrier to provide, deliver, arrange for, pay for or reimburse any of the costs of health care services. "Health benefit plan" includes accident only, credit health, dental, vision, medicare supplement, or long-term care coverage issued as a supplement to liability insurance, automobile medical payment insurance, short-term and catastrophic health insurance policies, and a policy that pays on a cost-incurred basis. "Health benefit plan" does not include workers' compensation or similar insurance;
(5)
"Health carrier" means an entity subject to the insurance laws and regulations of this state, or subject to the jurisdiction of the commissioner, that contracts or offers to contract to provide, deliver, arrange for, pay for or reimburse any of the cost of health care services, including a sickness and accident insurance company, a health maintenance organization, a nonprofit hospital and health service corporation, or any other entity providing a plan of health insurance, health benefits or health services;
(6)
"Insured" means a party named on a policy, certificate or health benefit plan as the person with legal rights to the benefits provided by the policy, certificate or health benefit plan. For group insurance, "insured" includes a person who is a beneficiary covered by a group policy, certificate, or health benefit plan;
(7)
"Policy" means a contract of insurance, certificate, indemnity, suretyship, or annuity issued, proposed for issuance, or intended for issuance by an insurer, including endorsements or riders to an insurance policy or contract;
(8)
"Subject of abuse" means a person to whom a family member, or a current or former household member, intimate partner, or caretaker, or a perpetrator of sexual assault, a stalker or a sex offender has directed an act as defined in subdivision (1); who has current or prior injuries, illnesses or disorders that resulted from abuse; or who seeks, may have sought or had reason to seek medical or psychological treatment for abuse, or protection, court-ordered protection or shelter from abuse; and
(9)
"Underwrite" means to properly classify individuals who request insurance coverage and includes, but is not limited to, the acts of refusal to insure, refusal to continue to insure, limiting the amount, extent or kind of coverage, or charging a different rate for coverage.
Acts 1996, ch. 723, § 1.