For the purpose of this chapter the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) “Association” means the joint underwriting association established pursuant to this chapter.

(2) “Category of health-care provider” means a type or class of health-care provider for which a separate license is required under Delaware law.

(3) “Commissioner” means the Insurance Commissioner of this State.

(4) “Health care” means any act or treatment performed or furnished, or which should have been performed or furnished, by any health-care provider for, to or on behalf of a patient during the patient’s medical care, treatment or confinement.

(5) “Health-care provider” means a person, corporation, facility or institution licensed by this State pursuant to Title 24, excluding Chapter 11 thereof, or Title 16 to provide health-care or professional services or any officers, employees or agents thereof acting within the scope of their employment; provided, however, that the term “health-care provider” shall not mean or include any nursing service or nursing facility conducted by or for those who rely upon treatment solely by spiritual means in accordance with the creed or tenets of any generally recognized church or religious denomination.

(6) “Informed consent” means the consent of a patient to the performance of health-care services by a health-care provider given after the health-care provider has informed the patient, to an extent reasonably comprehensible to general lay understanding, of the nature of the proposed procedure or treatment and of the risks and alternatives to treatment or diagnosis which a reasonable patient would consider material to the decision whether or not to undergo the treatment or diagnosis.

(7) “Medical negligence” means any tort or breach of contract based on health care or professional services rendered, or which should have been rendered, by a health-care provider to a patient. The standard of skill and care required of every health-care provider in rendering professional services or health care to a patient shall be that degree of skill and care ordinarily employed in the same or similar field of medicine as defendant, and the use of reasonable care and diligence.

(8) “Net direct premiums” means gross direct premiums, subscription dues, assessments, membership fees or other consideration received for or written on: a. Casualty insurance as defined in § 906(a) of this title, including the liability component of multiple peril policies as computed by the Commissioner; b. health insurance as defined in § 903 of this title; and c. health service contracts of health service corporations subject to Chapter 63 of this title, less the amount of any such consideration received which is returned on cancelled policies or contracts, the unabsorbed portion of any deposit premium and the amount returned to policyholders as dividends and similar returns, whether paid in cash or credit in reduction of premiums.

(9) “Patient” means a natural person who receives or should have received health care from a licensed health-care provider under a contract, express or implied.

(10) “Tail coverage” means insurance coverage, under a claims-made medical negligence insurance policy, for an alleged act of medical malpractice that occurred during the effective period of the policy but for which a claim was not made until after the policy was no longer in effect.

60 Del. Laws, c. 373, §  1;  71 Del. Laws, c. 373, §§  1, 3;  76 Del. Laws, c. 417, §  1;