33-22-1705. Incentives in health benefit plans. (1) A health care insurer may issue a policy or a health benefit plan that provides for incentives for covered persons to use the health care services of preferred providers. The policy or health benefit plan must contain at least:
     (a) a provision that if a covered person receives emergency care for services specified in the preferred provider agreement and cannot reasonably reach a preferred provider, the care rendered during the course of the emergency will be reimbursed as though the covered person had been treated by a preferred provider; and
     (b) a provision that clearly identifies the difference in benefit levels for health care services of a preferred provider and benefit levels for the same health care services of a nonpreferred provider.
     (2) A health care insurer may not require hospital staff privileges as criteria for designation as a preferred provider in a preferred provider agreement.

     History: En. Sec. 5, Ch. 638, L. 1987.