9.   Any denial of a request for prior authorization or limitation imposed by a payer on a requested service on the basis of utilization management determination shall be made by a physician who shall:
 
   a.   make the adverse determination under the clinical direction of a medical director of the payer who shall:
 
   (1)   be licensed in this State; and
 
   (2)   strictly follow a medical policy that has been developed and made available in accordance with P.L.2023, c.296 (C.17B:30-55.1 et al.) and the "New Jersey Health Care Quality Act," P.L.1997, c.192 (C.26:2S-1 et seq.);
 
   b.   not be compensated by a payer based on the approval or denial rate of the reviewing physician; and
 
   c.   not be provided preferential treatment by a payer in the requests for prior authorization of the reviewing physician if that physician is also a network provider for the payer.
 
L.2023, c.296, s.9.