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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>83577</law_id><section_number>38.2-5001</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>38.2-5008</reference><reference>8.01-273.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="38.2">Insurance</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="50">Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Birth-related neurological injury</span>&#x201D; means injury to the brain or spinal cord of an infant caused by the deprivation of oxygen or mechanical injury occurring in the course of labor, delivery or resuscitation necessitated by a deprivation of oxygen or mechanical injury that occurred in the course of labor or delivery, in a hospital which renders the infant permanently motorically disabled and (i) developmentally disabled or (ii) for infants sufficiently developed to be cognitively evaluated, cognitively disabled. In <span class="dictionary">order</span> to constitute a &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">birth-related neurological injury</span>&#x201D; within the meaning of this chapter, such disability shall cause the infant to be permanently in need of assistance in all activities of daily living. This definition shall apply to live births only and shall not include disability or death caused by genetic or congenital abnormality, degenerative neurological disease, or maternal substance abuse.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Claimant</span>&#x201D; means any <span class="dictionary">person</span> who files a claim pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Filing of claims; review by Board of Medicine; review by Department of Health; filing of responses; medical records" href="/38.2-5004/">38.2-5004</a> for compensation for a <span class="dictionary">birth-related neurological injury</span> to an infant. Such claims may be filed by any legal representative on behalf of an injured infant; and, in the case of a deceased infant, the claim may be filed by an administrator, executor, or other legal representative.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Commission</span>&#x201D; means the Virginia Workers&#x2019; Compensation <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Participating hospital</span>&#x201D; means a general hospital licensed in Virginia which at the time of the injury (i) had in force an agreement with the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> of Health or his designee, in a form prescribed by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span>, whereby the hospital agreed to participate in the development of a <span class="dictionary">program</span> to provide obstetrical care to patients eligible for Medical Assistance Services and to patients who are <span class="dictionary">indigent</span>, and upon approval of such <span class="dictionary">program</span> by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> of Health, to participate in its implementation, (ii) had in force an agreement with the <span class="dictionary">State</span> Department of Health whereby the hospital agreed to submit to review of its obstetrical service, as required by subsection C of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Filing of claims; review by Board of Medicine; review by Department of Health; filing of responses; medical records" href="/38.2-5004/">38.2-5004</a>, and (iii) had paid the <span class="dictionary">participating hospital</span> assessment pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Assessments" href="/38.2-5020/">38.2-5020</a> for the period of time in which the <span class="dictionary">birth-related neurological injury</span> occurred. The term also includes employees of such hospitals, excluding physicians or nurse-midwives who are eligible to qualify as <span class="dictionary">participating physicians</span>, acting in the course of and in the scope of their employment.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Participating physician</span>&#x201D; means a physician licensed in Virginia to practice medicine, who practices obstetrics or performs obstetrical services either full or part time or, as authorized in the plan of operation, a licensed nurse-midwife who performs obstetrical services, either full or part time, within the scope of such licensure and who at the time of the injury (i) had in force an agreement with the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> of Health or his designee, in a form prescribed by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span>, whereby the physician agreed to participate in the development of a <span class="dictionary">program</span> to provide obstetrical care to patients eligible for Medical Assistance Services and to patients who are <span class="dictionary">indigent</span>, and upon approval of such <span class="dictionary">program</span> by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> of Health, to participate in its implementation, (ii) had in force an agreement with the Board of Medicine whereby the physician agreed to submit to review by the Board of Medicine as required by subsection B of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Filing of claims; review by Board of Medicine; review by Department of Health; filing of responses; medical records" href="/38.2-5004/">38.2-5004</a>, and (iii) had paid the <span class="dictionary">participating physician</span> assessment pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Assessments" href="/38.2-5020/">38.2-5020</a> for the period of time in which the <span class="dictionary">birth-related neurological injury</span> occurred. The term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">participating physician</span>&#x201D; includes a partnership, corporation, professional corporation, professional limited liability <span class="dictionary">company</span> or other entity through which the <span class="dictionary">participating physician</span> practices.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Program</span>&#x201D; means the Virginia <span class="dictionary">Birth-Related Neurological Injury</span> Compensation <span class="dictionary">Program</span> established by this chapter.</p></section></text><history>1987, c. 540; 1989, c. 523; 1990, cc. 234, 534; 1994, c. 872; 1995, c. 302; 1999, c. 806; 2000, c. 207; 2003, c. 897; 2004, cc. 896, 931; 2017, c. 756.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
