Supreme Court refuses to hear case medical records consent

[The Northerner]

The US Supreme Court on Monday turned aside an appeal involving the scope of privacy protections for a patient’s medical records when a state agency seeks to force a doctor to disclose those records without first obtaining a patient’s consent.

At issue was a Maryland law that empowers an oversight board to demand that a physician immediately turn over requested medical files or face fines and other disciplinary action.

The only recourse is for the objecting patient to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit challenging the release. Short of filing such a lawsuit, the physician is required to turn over confidential doctor-patient records. The regime was upheld by Maryland’s highest court in a 4-to-3 decision.

The case was seen as an opportunity for the high court to more fully define a patient’s right to privacy.

Read more: http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/supreme-court-refuses-hear-case-medical-records-consent