44-7602. Legislative findings and intent.
(1) The Legislature finds and declares that the United States Congress recognized multiple employer welfare arrangements as vehicles for offering traditional accident and health benefit programs through the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Multiple employer welfare arrangements may be subject to state regulatory and fiscal standards not inconsistent with the federal act if the multiple employer welfare arrangement offers health benefit plans that are not fully insured. The provisions of the Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement Act are consistent with and authorized by the federal act, which confers upon the states authority to regulate multiple employer welfare arrangements.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature:
(a) To promote the legitimacy and the financial integrity of health benefit plans that are not fully insured by requiring multiple employer welfare arrangements offering such plans to obtain a certificate of registration from the director;
(b) That the Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement Act not apply to fully insured health benefit plans offered by multiple employer welfare arrangements;
(c) That the act shall be construed to mean that multiple employer welfare arrangements are not insurers for purposes of the insurance laws of this state; and
(d) That the insurance laws of this state not apply to health benefit plans offered by multiple employer welfare arrangements except as specifically set forth in the act.
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