Utilization reviews; relief from liability and discovery; standards compliance ACTIVE

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any health care provider licensed in this state who participates in quality of care or utilization reviews by a peer review committee, as a peer review committee member or a treating health care provider whose patients are subject to such review and have been contracted, employed, or hired by a group purchaser shall be immune from liability for any act performed during such reviews of the activities of similarly licensed health care providers if such person acts without malice, makes a reasonable effort to obtain the facts, and believes that the action taken is warranted by the facts. A peer review committee shall not be subject to discovery, and no person in attendance at such reviews shall be required to testify as to what transpired at such reviews. The utilization review requirements and administrative treatment guidelines of the peer review committee employed or hired by the group purchaser shall not fall below the appropriate standard of care and shall not impinge upon the independent medical judgment of the treating health care provider.