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Session of 1999
          SENATE BILL No. 20           By Special Committee on Information Management           1-11          

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  9             AN  ACT concerning information; limitations on disclosure and use of
10             health information.
11      
12       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
13             Section  1. (a) For the purpose of this section, the term "health care
14       information" includes any recorded information, regardless of form or
15       characteristics, which pertains to the health or medical treatment of an
16       individual.
17             (b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no person
18       shall sell, distribute, disclose or use any health care information contained
19       in or obtained from any record pertaining to the health care of an indi-
20       vidual without first having obtained the consent of the individual to whom
21       the health care information pertains. Each consent shall specifically state
22       with particularity each purpose for which the health care information is
23       requested and each use which will be made of the health care information
24       and be signed by the individual to whom the health care information
25       pertains. No form of consent shall be used which is general or which fails
26       to list each specific purpose for which the health care information is re-
27       quested and will be used. For the purposes of this section, health care
28       information shall be treated as the property of the individual to whom
29       the health care information pertains.
30             (c) Except as otherwise provided by law, consent shall not be required
31       when the health care information is:
32             (1) Used for the purpose of providing medical treatment or health
33       care to the individual to whom the health care information pertains;
34             (2) used or required for the purposes of paying or processing insur-
35       ance claims for the individual to whom the health care information
36       pertains;
37             (3) provided pursuant to a subpoena, discovery request or other order
38       issued either by a court or in a judicial proceeding or by a presiding officer
39       in a quasi-judicial proceeding;
40             (4) used for the purposes of utilization review pursuant to K.S.A. 1998
41       Supp. 40-22a01 et seq. and amendments thereto;
42             (5) used under circumstances whereby the individual to whom the
43       health care information pertains can not be reasonably identified; or
44             (6) provided to federal, state or local authorities in conjunction with
45       any investigation of criminal activity or fraud.
46             (d) When the individual is a minor, the minor's parent or legal guard-
47       ian may consent to the release of the health care information unless the
48       health care information relates to a condition or treatment for which a
49       statute authorizes or requires that consent be given by the minor.
50             (e) When the individual, other than a minor, is incapacitated or under
51       some form of disability, consent shall be obtained from the individual's
52       legal guardian.
53             (f) Any person who violates any provision of this act shall be deemed
54       guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
55        Sec.  2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
56       publication in the statute book.