LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

The legislature finds that to ensure enrollees high quality care, many health benefit plan issuers voluntarily undergo a rigorous accreditation process conducted by nationally recognized accreditation organizations. To maintain accreditation, these health benefit plan issuers are subject to continuing review of their processes and standards. The legislature recognizes that many of these processes and standards are also reviewed by state agencies, resulting in increased agency costs and increased health benefit plan administrative costs. The purpose of this chapter is to allow appropriate recognition of accreditation by nationally recognized accreditation organizations and to foster coordination among state agencies in order to:

(1) help make health benefit plan coverage more affordable for consumers; and

(2) eliminate duplication of effort by both health benefit plan issuers and state agencies.