131E-308. Statutory construction and relationship to other laws.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Article, provisions of the insurance laws and provisions of hospital or medical service corporation laws shall not be applicable to any provider sponsored organization granted a license under this Article or to its sponsoring providers when operating under such a license. This provision shall not apply to an insurer or hospital or medical service corporation licensed and regulated pursuant to the insurance laws or the hospital or medical service corporation laws of this State except with respect to its provider sponsored organization activities authorized and regulated pursuant to this Article.

(b) Solicitation of beneficiaries by a provider sponsored organization granted a license, or its representatives, shall not be construed to violate any provision of law relating to solicitation or advertising by health professionals or health care providers.

(c) Any provider sponsored organization licensed under this Article shall not be considered to be a provider of medicine and shall be exempt from the provisions of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes relating to the practice of medicine: provided, however, that this exemption does not apply to individual providers under contract with or employed by the provider sponsored organization or sponsoring providers or to the sponsoring providers.

(d) Except as otherwise limited by this Article, a PSO may organize in the same manner and may exercise the same prerogatives, powers, and privileges as other entities that are organized and existing under the same laws as the PSO.