The intent of the Legislature is to provide, to the extent feasible, through the provisions of this chapter and the necessarily related provisions of Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of this part, recipients of public assistance and medically indigent aged and other persons with the opportunity to enroll in prepaid health plans. It is further intended that this legislation is to benefit the people of the State of California by:

(a) Encouraging the development of more efficient delivery of health care to Medi-Cal recipients.

(b) Reducing the inflationary costs of health care.

(c) Improving the quality of medical services rendered to those eligible enrollees as defined in this chapter and Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of this part.

(d) Reducing administrative costs of operating the Medi-Cal Act by allowing prepaid health plans to assume substantial costs of administration and utilization controls that are now assumed by the State Department of Health Services.

(Amended by Stats. 1977, Ch. 1252.)