<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="19-702" title_number="19" title_name="Health Care Facilities" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Health Maintenance Organizations">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In adopting this subtitle, the General Assembly intends to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Provide alternative methods for the delivery of health care services to residents of this State, with a view toward achieving greater efficiency and economy in providing these services;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Encourage the formation of health maintenance organizations that provide health care services to subscribers or groups of subscribers who contract for these services under a system of prepayments; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Encourage the formation of health maintenance organizations by such diverse groups as:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Nonprofit health service plans;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Medical health service plans;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Medical care foundations;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Groups of professionals, either in the form of partnerships or professional corporations;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Consumer sponsored organizations; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>Business or legal entities.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>To carry out the intent of subsection (a) of this section, the policy of this State is to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Provide one overall State law that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Regulates health maintenance organizations;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Allows flexibility for the many forms these health maintenance organizations may take; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Facilitates public understanding and uniform administration of the rules and regulations that are adopted under this subtitle;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Eliminate legal barriers to the organization, promotion, and expansion of health maintenance organizations;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Provide for regulation of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The quality of health care, by the Department and by professional standards review organizations where appropriate; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>All other matters covered under this subtitle, by the Commissioner; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Exempt health maintenance organizations from the insurance laws of this State, except as set forth in this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
