[§334B-1]  Purpose.  The legislaturefinds and declares that the purposes of this chapter are to:

(1)  Promote the delivery of quality health care in acost-effective manner;

(2)  Foster greater coordination between health careproviders, third-party payors, and others who conduct utilization review andmanaged care activities;

(3)  Protect patients, employers, and health careproviders by ensuring that review agents are qualified to perform utilizationreview and managed care activities and to make informed decisions on theappropriateness of  care;

(4)  Protect patients’ health care interests throughpublic access to the criteria and standards used in utilization review andmanaged care activities;

(5)  Ensure the confidentiality of patients’ medicalor psychological records in the utilization review and managed care activitiesin accordance with applicable state and local laws; and

(6)  Provide for nondiscriminatory utilization reviewof treatments for all mental health, alcohol, or drug abuse problems. [L 1991,c 95, pt of §1]