1. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), a person or entity who is trained and licensed to provide care to a patient; also a place that is licensed to give health care such as a hospital, skilled nursing facility, inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation facility, home health agency, hospice program, physician, diagnostic department, outpatient physical or occupational therapy, rural clinics, or home dialysis supplier. Do not confuse this term with insurance companies that provide insurance. 2. Individual who provides medical services, which can include physician, nurse, physician assistant, pharmacist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, and other licensed medical professional persons.