Rhode Island § 27-41-22 - Health Maintenance Organizations

§ 27-41-22. Statutory construction and relationship to other laws.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, provisions of chapters 19, 20, 20.1, and 20.2 of this title shall not be applicable to any health maintenance organization granted a license under this chapter. This provision shall not apply to an insurer or hospital or medical service corporation licensed and regulated pursuant to the insurance laws or the hospital or medical service corporation laws of this state except with respect to its health maintenance organization activities authorized and regulated pursuant to this chapter.

(b) Solicitation of enrollees by a health maintenance organization granted a license, or its representatives, shall not be construed to violate any provision of law relating to solicitation or advertising by health professionals.

(c) Any health maintenance organization authorized under this chapter shall not be deemed to be practicing a profession, and may employ, or contract with, any licensed health professional to deliver professional services.

(d) No section of chapter 15 of title 23, the Health Care Certificate of Need Act, shall be abridged by this chapter.

(e) All information relating to a subscriber’s healthcare history, diagnosis, condition, treatment, or evaluation shall be considered confidential healthcare information and shall not be released or transferred except under the safeguards established by chapter 37.3 of title 5, the Confidentiality of Health Care Information Act.

(f) The provisions of chapter 19.1 of this title, relating to extended medical benefits, shall be construed to apply to enrollees of health maintenance organizations.

(g) Any health maintenance organization authorized under this chapter shall be deemed to be an insurer, for the purposes of compliance with chapter 17 of title 44.