2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 33 - INSURANCE (§§ 33-1-1 — 33-66-8) › Chapter 20D - RENTAL PREFERRED PROVIDER NETWORKS (§§ 33-20D-1 — 33-20D-6) › Section 33-20D-3 - Prohibited activities; confidentiality agreements

(a)
A rental preferred provider network shall not:
(1)
Knowingly access or utilize a network provider's contractual discount pursuant to a provider network contract without a contractual relationship with the network provider, rental preferred provider network, or third party; or
(2)
Lease, rent, or otherwise grant to a third party access to a provider network contract unless:
(A)
The third party is a payor or third-party administrator or another entity that administers or processes claims on behalf of the payor;
(B)
The provider network contract states that the contracting entity may enter into an agreement with a third party allowing the third party to obtain the contracting entity's rights and responsibilities under the provider network contract as if the third party were the contracting entity;
(C)
The provider network contract, and all agreements between a contracting entity and any third party, prohibits such third party from increasing the contractual discounts or otherwise reducing the compensation to a network provider to an amount below that which the network provider was entitled from the contracting entity for health care services at the time the third party was granted access to the provider network contract unless such third party becomes a contracting entity; and
(D)
The third party accessing the provider network contract is contractually obligated to comply with all applicable terms, limitations, and conditions of the provider network contract.
(b)
A contracting entity that grants access to a network provider's health care services and contractual discounts to any third party pursuant to a provider network contract shall maintain an Internet website, mobile communication device application, or other readily available mechanism, such as a toll-free telephone number, through which a network provider may obtain a listing, updated at least every 30 days, of the third parties to which the contracting entity or another third party has executed contracts to grant access to such network provider's health care services and contractual discounts pursuant to a provider network contract.
(c)
All information made available to a network provider in accordance with the requirements of this chapter shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person or entity not employed by the network provider or involved in the network provider's practice or the administration thereof without the prior written consent of the contracting entity; provided, however, that this shall not preclude a network provider from disclosing such information to an outside consultant or attorney for the purpose of assisting the network provider with any disputes with a contracting entity.
(d)
Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit a contracting entity from requiring a network provider to execute a reasonable confidentiality agreement to ensure that confidential or proprietary information disclosed by the contracting entity is not used for any purpose other than the network provider's direct practice management or billing activities.
Added by 2016 Ga. Laws 407,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2016.