In this chapter:

(1) The term “employee” means an employee defined under section 8901(1) and an employee of the District of Columbia courts.

(2) The terms “annuitant”, “member of family”, and “dependent” have the meanings as such terms are defined under paragraphs (3), (5), and (9), respectively, of section 8901.

(3) The term “eligible individual” refers to an individual described in paragraph (1), (2), or (8), without regard to whether the individual is enrolled in a health benefits plan under chapter 89.

(4) The term “Office” means the Office of Personnel Management.

(5) The term “qualified company” means a company (or consortium of companies or an employee organization defined under section 8901(8)) that offers indemnity, preferred provider organization, health maintenance organization, or discount dental programs and if required is licensed to issue applicable coverage in any number of States, taking any subsidiaries of such a company into account (and, in the case of a consortium, considering the member companies and any subsidiaries thereof, collectively).

(6) The term “employee organization” means an association or other organization of employees which is national in scope, or in which membership is open to all employees of a Government agency who are eligible to enroll in a health benefits plan under chapter 89.

(7) The term “State” includes the District of Columbia.

(8) The term “covered TRICARE-eligible individual” means an individual entitled to dental care under chapter 55 of title 10, pursuant to section 1076a or 1076c [1] of such title, who the Secretary of Defense determines should be an eligible individual for purposes of this chapter.

(Added Pub. L. 108–496, § 2, Dec. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 4001; amended Pub. L. 109–356, title I, § 117(a)(1), Oct. 16, 2006, 120 Stat. 2027; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VII, § 715(a)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2221; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VII, § 713(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1811.)