Definitions

As used in this chapter: 1. "Associate member of an employee organization" means any individual who participates in an employee benefit plan (as defined in 29 U.S.C. 1002(1)) that is a multiemployer plan (as defined in 29 U.S.C. 1002(37A)), other than the following: a. An individual, or the beneficiary of such individual, who is employed by a participating employer within a bargaining unit covered by at least one of the collective bargaining agreements under or pursuant to which the employee benefit plan is established or maintained; or b. An individual who is a present or former employee, or a beneficiary of such employee, of the sponsoring employee organization, of an employer who is or was a party to at least one of the collective bargaining agreements under or pursuant to which the employee benefit plan is established or maintained, or of the employee benefit plan or of a related plan. 2. "New entrant" means an eligible employee, or the dependent of an eligible employee, who becomes part of an employer group after the initial period for enrollment in a health benefit plan. 3. "Preexisting condition exclusion" means a limitation or exclusion of benefits relating to a condition based on the fact that the condition was present before the effective date of coverage, whether or not any medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment was recommended or received before such date. 4. "Risk characteristic" means the health status, claims experience, duration ofcoverage, health status-related factor, or any similar characteristic related to the health status or experience of a small employer group or of any member of a small employer group. 5. "Risk load" means the percentage above the applicable base premium rate that is charged by a small employer carrier to a small employer to reflect the risk characteristics of the small employer group. 6. "Waiting period" means, with respect to a group health benefit plan and an individual who is a potential participant or beneficiary in the plan, the period that must pass with respect to the individual before the individual is eligible to be covered for benefits under the terms of the plan.