§ 31A-34-102. Purpose and intent -- Legislative findings.

(1) The purpose of this chapter is to improve the delivery of health care coverage for employer groups and individual applicants through the establishment of private competing purchasing entities to be known as health insurance purchasing alliances.

(2) The Legislature finds that the establishment of voluntary health insurance purchasing alliances will likely improve cost, quality, and access to health insurance services.

(3) To facilitate health insurance purchasing alliances and to ensure a fair allocation of risk among contracted insurers, the Legislature finds that cooperation among contracted insurers and health insurance purchasing alliances is necessary in the development of coordinated actuarial models and in the coordination of underwriting and marketing methodologies.

(4) This chapter establishes state supervision and control over the activities of health insurance purchasing alliances. By this chapter, the Legislature substitutes state regulation and control for competition among contracted insurers with respect to the coordinated development and implementation of actuarial models and underwriting and marketing methodologies used in conjunction with health insurance made available through a health insurance purchasing alliance licensed under this chapter. To the extent regulated and controlled under this chapter, alliances and contracted insurers are immune from actions that might arise under state or federal antitrust laws.

Enacted by Chapter 143, 1996 General Session