North Dakota Code 26.1-18.1-23 – Confidentiality of medical information and limitation of liability
1. Any data or information pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment, or health of any enrollee or applicant obtained from the person or from any provider by any health maintenance organization must be held in confidence and may not be disclosed to any person except to the extent that it may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, or upon the express consent of the enrollee or applicant, or pursuant to statute or court order for the production of evidence or the discovery thereof, or in the event of claim or litigation between the person and the health maintenance organization wherein the data or information is pertinent. A health maintenance organization is entitled to claim any statutory privileges against the disclosure which the provider who furnished the information to the health maintenance organization is entitled to claim.
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 26.1-18.1-23
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
- Organization: includes a foreign or domestic association, business trust, corporation, enterprise, estate, joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or any legal or commercial entity. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
2. A person who, in good faith and without malice, takes any action or makes any decision or recommendation as a member, agent, or employee of a health care review committee or who furnishes any records, information, or assistance to such a committee is not subject to liability for civil damages or any legal action in consequence of the action, nor is the health maintenance organization which established the committee or the officers, directors, employees, or agents of the health maintenance organization liable for the activities of any person. This section may not be construed to relieve any person of liability arising from treatment of a patient.
3. a. The information considered by a health care review committee and the records of their actions and proceedings are confidential and not subject to subpoena or order to produce except in proceedings before the appropriate state licensing or certifying agency, or in an appeal, if permitted, from the committee’s findings or recommendations. No member of a health care review committee, or officer, director, or other member of a health maintenance organization or its staff engaged in assisting the committee, or any person assisting or furnishing information to the committee may be subpoenaed to testify in any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding if the subpoena is based solely on the activities.
b. Information considered by a health care review committee and the records of its actions and proceedings which are used pursuant to subdivision a by a state licensing or certifying agency or in an appeal must be kept confidential and is subject to the same provision concerning discovery and use in legal actions as are the original information and records in the possession and control of a health care review committee.
4. To fulfill its obligations under section 26.1-18.1-06, the health maintenance organization shall have access to treatment records and other information pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment, or health status of any enrollee.