The bill amends Section 5-37.3-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-37.3, known as the "Confidentiality of Health Care Communications and Information Act," by updating the definitions related to the confidentiality of health care information. One of the key changes is the amendment to the definition of "authorized representative." Previously, in the event of a patient's death, the patient's personal representative or their heirs-at-law could assert or waive confidentiality. The bill changes this language to allow any heir-at-law to act as an authorized representative when the patient is deceased and there is no personal representative present.

The bill also provides a comprehensive list of definitions that are pertinent to the confidentiality of health care communications, including terms such as "confidential healthcare communication," "healthcare provider," "managed-care contractor," and "third-party requestor," among others. These definitions are crucial for establishing who is authorized to handle confidential health care information and under what circumstances. The act is set to take effect upon passage, indicating that the changes will become effective immediately once the bill is enacted.

Statutes affected:
7646: 5-37.3-3