As used in this article, the term:

(1) "Applicant for medical assistance" means a person who has made application for certification as being eligible, generally, to have medical assistance paid in his or her behalf pursuant to the state plan and whose application has not been acted upon favorably.

(2) "Board" means the Board of Community Health established under Chapter 5A of Title 31.

(3) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department.

(4) "Department" means the Department of Community Health established under Chapter 5A of Title 31.

(5) "Medical assistance" means payment to a provider of a part or all of the cost of certain items of medical or remedial care or service rendered by the provider to a recipient of medical assistance, provided such items are rendered and received in accordance with such provisions of Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act of 1935, as amended, regulations promulgated pursuant thereto by the secretary of health and human services, all applicable laws of this state, the state plan, and regulations of the department which are in effect on the date on which the items are rendered.

(6) "Provider of medical assistance" means a person or institution, public or private, which possesses all licenses, permits, certificates, approvals, registrations, charters, and other forms of permission issued by entities other than the department, which forms of permission are required by law either to render care or to receive medical assistance in which federal financial participation is available and which meets the further requirements for participation prescribed by the department and which is enrolled, in the manner and according to the terms prescribed by the department, to participate in the state plan.

(7) "Recipient of medical assistance" means a person who has been certified eligible, pursuant to the state plan, to have medical assistance paid in his or her behalf.

(8) "State plan" means all documentation submitted by the commissioner in behalf of the department to and for approval by the secretary of health and human services, pursuant to Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act, as amended (Act of July 30, 1965, P.L. 89-97, Stat. 343, as amended).

(9) "Third party" means an individual, institution, corporation, or public or private agency, other than the department, that is legally liable to pay all or any part of the medical costs incurred by a recipient of medical assistance on account of any sickness, injury, disease, or disability to such a recipient.