Incarcerated persons: health records.

Existing law, the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, prohibits a health care provider, a contractor, or a health care service plan from disclosing medical information, as defined, regarding a patient of the provider or an enrollee or subscriber of the health care service plan without first obtaining an authorization, except as specified. Existing law authorizes a provider of health care or a health care service plan to disclose medical information when, among other things, the information is disclosed to an insurer, employer, health care service plan, hospital service plan, employee benefit plan, governmental authority, contractor, or other person or entity responsible for paying for health care services rendered to the patient, to the extent necessary to allow responsibility for payment to be determined and payment to be made. This bill would require, when jurisdiction of an inmate is transferred from or between the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the State Department of State Hospitals, and county agencies caring for inmates, those agencies to disclose, by electronic transmission when possible, mental health records, as defined, regarding each transferred inmate who received mental health services while in custody of the transferring facility, as specified. The bill would require mental health records to be disclosed to ensure sufficient mental health history is available for the purpose of satisfying specified requirements relating to parole and to ensure the continuity of mental health treatment of an inmate being transferred between those facilities. By imposing additional duties on local entities, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require all transmissions made pursuant to these provisions to comply with specified provisions of state and federal law, including the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.