(1) An insurer licensed in this state may, either directly or through a subsidiary or affiliate, organize and operate a health maintenance organization under the Health Maintenance Organization Act. Any two or more such insurers or subsidiaries or affiliates thereof may jointly organize and operate a health maintenance organization. The business of insurance shall include the providing of health care by a health maintenance organization owned or operated by an insurer or a subsidiary thereof.

Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 44-32,151

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Health maintenance organization: shall mean any person who undertakes to provide or arrange for the delivery of basic health care services to enrollees on a prepaid basis except for enrollee responsibility for copayments or deductibles. See Nebraska Statutes 44-32,105
  • Insurer: shall include all companies, exchanges, societies, or associations whether organized on the stock, mutual, assessment, or fraternal plan of insurance and reciprocal insurance exchanges. See Nebraska Statutes 44-103
  • State: when applied to different states of the United States shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories organized by Congress. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801

(2) An insurer may contract with a health maintenance organization to provide insurance or similar protection against the cost of health care services provided through health maintenance organizations and to provide coverage in the event of the failure of the health maintenance organization to meet its obligations. The enrollees of a health maintenance organization shall constitute a permissible group under the insurance laws of this state. An insurer may make benefit payments to health maintenance organizations for health care services rendered by providers under such contracts.