§ 44-7210 — Confidentiality; immunity

(1) Data or information pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment, or health of a covered person obtained from the person or from a provider by a health carrier is confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person except to the extent that it may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Quality Assessment and Improvement Act and as allowed by state law; or upon the express consent of the covered person; or pursuant to statute or court order for the production of evidence or the discovery thereof; or in the event of a claim or litigation between the covered person and the health carrier in which the data or information is pertinent, regardless of whether the information is in the form of paper, is preserved on microfilm, or is stored in computer retrievable form. If any data or information pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment, or health of any covered person or applicant is disclosed pursuant to the provisions of this subsection, the health carrier making this required disclosure shall not be liable for the disclosure or any subsequent use or misuse of the data. A health carrier shall be entitled to claim any statutory privileges against disclosure that the provider who furnished the information to the health carrier is entitled to claim.
(2) A person who, in good faith and without malice, takes an action or makes a decision or recommendation as a member, agent, or employee of a health carrier's quality committee in furtherance of and consistent with the quality assessment or quality improvement activities of the health carrier, or who furnishes any records, information, or assistance to a quality committee in furtherance of and consistent with the quality assessment or quality improvement activities of the health carrier, shall not be subject to liability for civil damages or any legal action in consequence of his or her action, nor shall the health carrier that established the quality committee or the officers, directors, employees, or agents of the health carrier be liable for the activities of the person. This section shall not be construed to relieve any person of liability arising from treatment of a patient.
(3)(a) The information considered by a quality committee and the records of its actions and proceedings shall be confidential and not subject to subpoena or order to produce except in proceedings before the appropriate state licensing agency, or in an appeal, if permitted, from the quality committee's findings or recommendations. No member of a quality committee, or officer, director, or other member of a health carrier or its staff engaged in assisting the quality committee, or engaged in the health carrier's quality assessment or quality improvement activities, or any person assisting or furnishing information to the quality committee may be subpoenaed to testify in any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding if the subpoena is based solely on these activities.
(b) Information considered by a quality committee and the records of its actions and proceedings that are used pursuant to subdivision (3)(a) of this section by a state licensing or certifying agency or in an appeal shall be kept confidential and shall be subject to the same provisions concerning discovery and use in legal actions as are the original information and records in the possession and control of a quality committee.
(4) To fulfill its obligations under this section, the health carrier shall have access to treatment records and other information pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment, or health status of any covered person.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1998, LB 1162, § 60.