CT. STAT. Medical Records (1984)
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| CT. STAT. Medical Records (1984) | |
|---|---|
| Short Title | |
| Official Text | CT. STAT. Medical Records (1984) |
| Country/Jurisdiction | United States |
| State or Province | Connecticut |
| Regulatory Bodies | |
| Date Enacted | |
| Scope of the Law | Health |
| Information | |
| Taxonomy | Decisional Interference, Exposure, Increased Accessibility, Interrogation |
| Strategies | |
Text of the law
- Provisions of Connecticut General Statues
- Medical Records
- Sec. 20-1. Healing arts defined. The practice of the healing arts means the practice of medicine, chiropractic, podiatry, naturopathy and, except as used in chapters 384a and 388, the practice of optometry.
- Secs. 20-2 to 20-7. Examining boards, generally. Sections 20-2 to 20-7, inclusive, are repealed.
- Sec. 20-7a. Billing for clinical laboratory services. Cost of diagnostic tests.Financial disclosures to patients. Interrogation, Exposure, Decisional Interference
- (a) Any practitioner of the healing arts who agrees with any clinical laboratory, either private or hospital, to make payments to such laboratory for individual tests or test series for patients shall disclose on the bills to patients or third party payors the name of such laboratory, the amount or amounts charged by such laboratory for individual tests or test series and the amount of his procurement or processing charge, if any, for each test or test series. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.
- (b) Each practitioner of the healing arts who recommends a test to aid in the diagnosis of a patient’s physical condition shall, to the extent the practitioner is reasonably able, inform the patient of the approximate range of costs of such test.
- (c) Each practitioner of the healing arts who (1) has an ownership or investment interest in an entity that provides diagnostic or therapeutic services, or (2) receives compensation or remuneration for referral of patients to an entity that provides diagnostic or therapeutic services shall disclose such interest to any patient prior to referring such patient to such entity for diagnostic or therapeutic services and provide reasonable referral alternatives. Such information shall be verbally disclosed to each patient or shall be posted in a conspicuous place visible to patients in the practitioner’s office. The posted information shall list the therapeutic and diagnostic services in which the practitioner has an ownership or investment interest and therapeutic and diagnostic services from which the practitioner receives compensation or remuneration for referrals and state that alternate referrals will be made upon request. Therapeutic services include physical therapy, radiation therapy, intravenous therapy and rehabilitation services including physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech and language pathology, or any combination of such therapeutic services. This subsection shall not apply to in-office ancillary services. As used in this subsection, “ownership or investment interest” does not include ownership of investment securities that are purchased by the practitioner on terms available to the general public and are publicly traded; and “entity that provides diagnostic or therapeutic services” includes services provided by an entity that is within a hospital but is not owned by the hospital. Violation of this subsection constitutes conduct subject to disciplinary action under subdivision (7) of subsection (a) of section 19a-17
- Sec. 20-7b. Definitions. For purposes of sections 20-7b to 20-7e, inclusive:
- (a) “Patient” means a natural person who has received health care services from a provider for treatment of a medical condition, or a person he designates in writing as his representative; and
- (b) “Provider” means any person or organization that furnishes health care services and is licensed or certified to furnish such services pursuant to chapters 370 to 373, inclusive, 375 to 384a, inclusive, 388, 398 and 399 or is licensed or certified pursuant to chapter 368d.
- Sec. 20-7c. Access to medical records. Notification to patient of certain test results.
- (a) For purposes of this section, “provider” has the same meaning as provided in section 20-7b.
- (b) (1) A provider, who requests that his or her patient submit to repeated medical testing at regular intervals, over a specified period of time, for purposes of ascertaining a diagnosis, prognosis or recommended course of treatment for such patient, may issue a single authorization that allows the entity that conducts such medical testing, including, but not limited to, a clinical laboratory, to directly communicate the results of such testing to the patient for the period of time that such testing is requested by the provider.
- (c) Upon a written request of a patient, a patient’s attorney or authorized representative, or pursuant to a written authorization, a provider, except as provided in section 4-194, shall furnish to the person making such request a copy of the patient’s health record, including but not limited to, bills, x-rays and copies of laboratory reports,contact lens specifications based on examinations and final contact lens fittings given within the preceding three months or such longer period of time as determined by the provider but no longer than six months, records of prescriptions and other technical information used in assessing the patient’s health condition. No provider shall refuse to return to a patient original records or copies of records that the patient has brought to the provider from another provider. When returning records to a patient, a provider may retain copies of such records for the provider’s file, provided such provider does not charge the patient for the costs incurred in copying such records. No provider shall charge more than sixty-five cents per page, including any research fees, handling fees or related costs, and the cost of first class postage, if applicable, for furnishing a health record pursuant to this subsection, except such provider may charge a patient the amount necessary to cover the cost of materials for furnishing a copy of an x-ray,provided no such charge shall be made for furnishing a health record or part thereof to a patient,a patient’s attorney or authorized representative if the record or part thereof is necessary for the purpose of supporting a claim or appeal under any provision of the Social Security Act or a claim or appeal for and the request is accompanied by documentation of the claim or appeal. A provider shall furnish a health record requested pursuant to this section within thirty days of the request. No health care provider, who has purchased or assumed the practice of a provider who is retiring or deceased, may refuse to return original records or copied records to a patient who decides not to seek care from the successor provider. When returning records to a patient who has decided not to seek care from a successor provider, such provider may not charge a patient for costs incurred in copying the records of the retired or deceased provider. Interrogation, Decisional Interference
- (d)If a provider reasonably determines that the information is detrimental to the physical or mental health of the patient, or is likely to cause the patient to harm himself, herself or another, the provider may withhold the information from the patient. The information may be supplied to an appropriate third party or to another provider who may release the information to the patient. If disclosure of information is refused by a provider under this subsection, any person aggrieved thereby may, within thirty days of such refusal,petition the superior court for the judicial district in which such person resides for an order requiring the provider to disclose the information. Such a proceeding shall be privileged with respect to assignment for trial. The court,after hearing and an in camera review of the information in question,shall issue the order requested unless it determines that such disclosure would be detrimental to the physical or mental health of the person or is likely to cause the person to harm himself,herself or another. Increased Accessibility
- (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any information relative to any psychiatric or psychological problems or conditions.
- (f) In the event that a provider abandons his or her practice, the Commissioner of Public Health may appoint a licensed health care provider to be the keeper of the records, who shall be responsible for disbursing the original records to the provider’s patients, upon the request of any such patient.
- Sec. 20-7d. Release of patient’s medical records to another provider. A copy of the patient’s health record, including but not limited to, x-rays and copies of laboratory reports, prescriptions and other technical information used in assessing the patient’s condition shall be furnished to another provider upon the written request of the patient. The written request shall specify the name of the provider to whom the health record is to be furnished. The patient shall be responsible for the reasonable costs of furnishing the information.
- Sec. 20-7e. Medical records maintained by agencies. The provisions of sections 20-7b to 20-7d, inclusive, shall not apply to medical records maintained by any agency as defined in section 4-190.
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State: Connecticut