(1) The general assembly hereby finds and determines that health care providers that provide medical care or health care services that are not reasonably necessary or not reasonably appropriate according to accepted professional standards should not be allowed to provide such services to workers' compensation claimants. The general assembly, therefore, hereby declares that the purpose of the utilization review process authorized in this section is to provide a mechanism to review medical care or health care services rendered pursuant to this article that may not be reasonably necessary or reasonably appropriate according to accepted professional standards and to provide a mechanism to prevent such health care providers from providing medical care or health care services.
The provisions relating to the procedures for utilization review found in section 8-43501 (2), (3), (4), (5)(a), (5)(c), and (5)(d) shall apply to utilization review under this section. A unanimous vote by the committee created in section 8-43-501 (3) shall be required for a recommendation to the director that a health care provider not be allowed to provide medical care or health care services to claimants.
Employers, insurers, claimants, or their representatives shall not dictate to any physician the type or duration of treatment or degree of physical impairment. Nothing in this subsection (3) shall be construed to abrogate any managed care or cost containment measures authorized in articles 40 to 47 of this title.
Source: L. 94: Entire section added, p. 2003, § 7, effective July 1.