Washington § 70.03.020 Providing medical information to patients.

Washington Statutes

§ 70.03.020 — Providing medical information to patients.

Washington § 70.03.020

Title 70PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

Ch. 70.03MEDICAL RECORDS—PROVIDING INFORMATION TO PATIENTS

This text of Washington § 70.03.020 (Providing medical information to patients.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Wash. Rev. Code § 70.03.020 (2026).

Text

(1)If a health care provider is acting in good faith, within the provider's scope of practice, education, training, and experience, including specialty areas of practice and board certification, and within the accepted standard of care, a health care entity may not:

(a)Limit the health care provider's provision of:

(i)Medically accurate and comprehensive information and counseling to a patient regarding the patient's health status including, but not limited to, diagnosis, prognosis, recommended treatment, treatment alternatives, and any potential risks to the patient's health or life; and

(ii)Information about available services and about what relevant resources are available in the community and how to access those resources for obtaining the care of the patient's choice;

(b)Limi

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(1) If a health care provider is acting in good faith, within the provider's scope of practice, education, training, and experience, including specialty areas of practice and board certification, and within the accepted standard of care, a health care entity may not:

(a) Limit the health care provider's provision of:

(i) Medically accurate and comprehensive information and counseling to a patient regarding the patient's health status including, but not limited to, diagnosis, prognosis, recommended treatment, treatment alternatives, and any potential risks to the patient's health or life; and

(ii) Information about available services and about what relevant resources are available in the community and how to access those resources for obtaining the care of the patient's choice;

(b) Limit the health care provider's provision of information about and regarding Washington's death with dignity act, chapter 70.245 RCW, information about what relevant resources are available in the community, and how to access those resources for obtaining the care of the patient's choice.

(2) A health care entity may not discharge, demote, suspend, discipline, or otherwise discriminate against a health care provider for providing information in compliance with this section.

(3) If any part of this section is found to be in conflict with federal requirements which are a prescribed condition to the receipts of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this section is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict with respect to the agencies directly affected, and such finding or determination shall not affect the operation of the remainder of the section.