(1) The purpose of this chapter is to recognize and provide reasonable supervision of self-funded or partially self-funded plans for provision of health care service benefits to employees or to students of a postsecondary educational institution in connection with or as an alternative to insurance and other prepayment plans, to provide standards for financial soundness of such plans, to protect the interests of employees or students covered thereby and to provide for the establishment of financially viable alternatives to traditional health care plans. The legislature of the state of Idaho declares that the existence and operation of such self-funded plans are matters of legislative concern, vitally affecting the rights and interests of the citizens of this state.
(2)  The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any single employer or multiple employer plan or any postsecondary educational institution that provides a fully or partially self-funded health benefit plan for beneficiaries residing in this state to the extent that state regulation of such plan is not preempted by the employee retirement income security act of 1974, as amended.