(1) Any supervision, rehabilitation, liquidation, or conservation of a health maintenance organization shall be deemed to be the supervision, rehabilitation, liquidation, or conservation of an insurance company and shall be conducted pursuant to the Nebraska Insurers Supervision, Rehabilitation, and Liquidation Act. The director may apply for an order directing him or her to rehabilitate, liquidate, or conserve a health maintenance organization upon any one or more grounds set out in sections 44-4812 and 44-4817 or when in his or her opinion the continued operation of the health maintenance organization would be hazardous either to the enrollees or to the people of this state. Enrollees shall have the same priority in the event of liquidation or rehabilitation as the law provides to policyholders of an insurer.

(2) For purposes of determining the priority of distribution of general assets, claims of enrollees and enrollees' beneficiaries shall have the same priority as established by subdivision (2) of section 44-4842 for policyholders and beneficiaries of insureds of insurance companies. If an enrollee is liable to any provider for services provided pursuant to and covered by the health care plan, that liability shall have the status of an enrollee claim for distribution of general assets. Any provider who is obligated by statute or agreement to hold enrollees harmless from liability for services provided pursuant to and covered by a health care plan shall have the same priority of distribution of the general assets as established by subdivision (5) of section 44-4842.