Every health care service plan shall, upon request, provide to enrollees and subscribers a written statement that describes: how it protects confidential medical information; types of medical information it collects; purposes for which it collects the info; when the information may be disclosed without prior authorization; and how patients may obtain access to this information.
No provider of health care, health care service plan, or contractor shall disclose medical information regarding a patient of the provider of health care or an enrollee or subscriber of a health care service plan without first obtaining an authorization, except as provided in subdivision (b) or (c).
Notice must include types of information collected; techniques used to collect the information; types of permissible disclosures; and description of subject's rights
An insurance institution, agent, or insurance-support organization may disclose personal or privileged information about an individual to a certificate holder or policyholder for the purpose of providing information regarding the status of an insurance transaction.
An insurance institution or agent shall provide a notice of information practices to all applicants or policyholders in connection with insurance transactions within time limits set as specified for written applications for insurance, policy renewal, policy reinstatement, or change of insurance benefits. Notice shall be in writing, and is required state if personal information will be collected, possible disclosures, methods of collection, etc. The article also allows an alternative abbreviated notice that includes a notice of the right to access personal information
A health care service plan must authorize or deny a second opinion from another health professional upon the request from an enrollee or health professional treating an enrollee. The health professional providing the second opinion must provide the enrollee and the initial health professional with a consultation report.
Upon notice from the department that an enrollee has applied for an independent medical review, the plan or its contracting providers shall provide the requisite medical records (specified in (1) to (3)) to the independent medical review organization within 3 days. The confidentiality of any enrollee information shall be maintained in accordance with applicable laws.
On receipt of an application for disability allowance, the State Teachers' Retirement System may order a medical examination of a member to determine whether the member is incapacitated for performance of service. The medical examination shall be conducted by a physician selected by the Teachers' Retirement Board, with expertise in the member's disability. If the member refuses to submit to the required medical examination, the application for disability allowance shall be rejected.
The State Teachers' Retirement System may reject the disability allowance application if the member fails to provide requested medical documentation to substantiate a disability, within 45 days from the date of the request or within 30 days from the time that a legally designated representative is empowered to act on behalf of a member who is mentally or physically incapacitated.
