1. A self-insured employer, an association of self-insured public or private employers or a private carrier may:

(a) Except as otherwise provided in NRS 616B.5273, enter into a contract or contracts with one or more organizations for managed care to provide comprehensive medical and health care services to employees for injuries and diseases that are compensable pursuant to chapters 616A to 617, inclusive, of NRS.

(b) Enter into a contract or contracts with providers of health care, including, without limitation, physicians who provide primary care, specialists, pharmacies, physical therapists, radiologists, nurses, diagnostic facilities, laboratories, hospitals and facilities that provide treatment to outpatients, to provide medical and health care services to employees for injuries and diseases that are compensable pursuant to chapters 616A to 617, inclusive, of NRS.

(c) Require employees to obtain medical and health care services for their industrial injuries from those organizations and persons with whom the self-insured employer, association or private carrier has contracted pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b), or as the self-insured employer, association or private carrier otherwise prescribes.

(d) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3 of NRS 616C.090, require employees to obtain the approval of the self-insured employer, association or private carrier before obtaining medical and health care services for their industrial injuries from a provider of health care who has not been previously approved by the self-insured employer, association or private carrier.

2. An organization for managed care with whom a self-insured employer, association of self-insured public or private employers or a private carrier has contracted pursuant to this section shall comply with the provisions of NRS 616B.528, 616B.5285 and 616B.529.

(Added to NRS by 1993, 690; A 1993, 798; 1995, 2019; 1999, 1771, 2213; 2001, 115, 1891; 2003, 1670)