"      Section 1. That § 58-17C-1 be amended by adding thereto NEW SUBDIVISIONS to read as follows:

     Section 2. That § 58-17C-8 be amended to read as follows:

     58-17C-8.   A health carrier providing a managed care plan shall maintain a network that is sufficient in numbers and types of providers to assure that all services to covered persons will be accessible without unreasonable delay. Each managed care plan shall permit covered persons to choose their own primary care practitioner from a list of health care professionals within the plan. In the case of emergency services, covered persons shall have access twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. Sufficiency shall be determined in accordance with the requirements of this section, and may be established by reference to any reasonable criteria used by the carrier, including: provider-covered person ratios by specialty; primary care provider-covered person ratios; geographic accessibility; waiting times for appointments with participating providers; hours of operation; and the volume of technological and specialty services available to serve the needs of covered persons requiring technologically advanced or specialty care.

     Section 3. That chapter 58-17C be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:

     Section 5. That chapter 58-17C be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows: