P.R. Laws tit. 24, § 3221
For the purposes of the construction and application of this chapter, the following terms and phrases shall have the meaning stated hereinbelow, unless another meaning clearly arises from the context:
(a) Curable catastrophic illness. —
(1) An illness whose foreseeable effect, certified by a physician, is the loss of life; for which medical science has successfully proven that there is a treatment which can remedy said condition to the point of saving the life of the patient; that said treatment, including its diagnosis, is not covered or is only partially covered by the health insurance plans available in the general market, including the Government of Puerto Rico Health Insurance Plan; and that the patient or the components of his/her family nucleus or those bound by law to support him/her, lack the financial resources to assume the costs or the means to obtain financing in private banking.
(2) It shall also mean those illnesses that are not terminal, as defined in this chapter, but that have caused a disability or permanent nature that could be seriously aggravated if medical science does not intervene through a treatment that has been proven to remedy or prevent the exacerbation of said condition. However, in this case, the Board may authorize assistance through a donation, loan or a combination of both for such patient, according to the requirements imposed by this chapter and are applicable to these cases.
The Board, however, shall not authorize assistance in this type of case while assistance is pending for those persons whose illness is defined as provided in clause (1) of this subsection. The Board shall adopt the regulations to attend to these cases.
(3) This definition shall not include epidemic diseases.
(b) Fund. — Curable Catastrophic Illnesses Services Fund created in § 3222 of this title.
(c) Board. — Evaluating Board for Curable Catastrophic Illnesses Services Fund, attached to the Department of Health of Puerto Rico and created by § 3225 of this title.
(d) Family nucleus. — Persons who live with the patient under the same roof or that claim him/her as a dependent in the income tax return.
(e) Patient. — A person for whom the assistance of the Curable Catastrophic Illnesses Services Fund is applied for, who meets the requirements established in § 3223 of this title.
(f) Secretary of Family Services. — The Secretary of the Department of Family Services or his/her designated representative.
(g) Secretary of the Treasury. — The Secretary of the Department of the Treasury of Puerto Rico or his/her designated representative.
(h) Secretary of Health. — The Secretary of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico or his/her authorized representative.
(i) Guardian. — Persons legally in charge of the patient and who assumes legal responsibility for the commitment contracted with the Fund and with the Board that administers it.
History —Aug. 19, 1996, No. 150, § 3.