2015 -- S 0712

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LC000704

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - RIGHTS OF PATIENTS - MEDICAL RECORD

FEES FOR VETERANS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Nesselbush, Goldin, Lombardi, and Goodwin

     Date Introduced: March 18, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     Section 23-17-19.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17 entitled "Licensing of Health

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Care Facilities" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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      23-17-19.1. Rights of patients. -- Every health care facility licensed under this chapter

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shall observe the following standards and any other standards that may be prescribed in rules and

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regulations promulgated by the licensing agency with respect to each patient who utilizes the

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facility:

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     (1) The patient shall be afforded considerate and respectful care.

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     (2) Upon request, the patient shall be furnished with the name of the physician

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responsible for coordinating his or her care.

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     (3) Upon request, the patient shall be furnished with the name of the physician or other

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person responsible for conducting any specific test or other medical procedure performed by the

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health care facility in connection with the patient's treatment.

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     (4) The patient shall have the right to refuse any treatment by the health care facility to

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the extent permitted by law.

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     (5) The patient's right to privacy shall be respected to the extent consistent with providing

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adequate medical care to the patient and with the efficient administration of the health care

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facility. Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude discreet discussion of a patient's

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case or examination of appropriate medical personnel.

 

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     (6) The patient's right to privacy and confidentiality shall extend to all records pertaining

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to the patient's treatment except as otherwise provided by law.

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     (7) The health care facility shall respond in a reasonable manner to the request of a

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patient's physician, certified nurse practitioner and/or a physician's assistant for medical services

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to the patient. The health care facility shall also respond in a reasonable manner to the patient's

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request for other services customarily rendered by the health care facility to the extent the

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services do not require the approval of the patient's physician, certified nurse practitioner and/or a

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physician's assistant or are not inconsistent with the patient's treatment.

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     (8) Before transferring a patient to another facility, the health care facility must first

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inform the patient of the need for and alternatives to a transfer.

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     (9) Upon request, the patient shall be furnished with the identities of all other health care

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and educational institutions that the health care facility has authorized to participate in the

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patient's treatment and the nature of the relationship between the institutions and the health care

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facility.

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     (10)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, if the health care facility

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proposes to use the patient in any human subjects research, it shall first thoroughly inform the

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patient of the proposal and offer the patient the right to refuse to participate in the project.

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     (b) No facility shall be required to inform prospectively the patient of the proposal and

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the patient's right to refuse to participate when: (i) the facility's human subjects research involves

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the investigation of potentially lifesaving devices, medications and/or treatments and the patient

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is unable to grant consent due to a life-threatening situation and consent is not available from the

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agent pursuant to chapter 23-4.10 of the general laws or the patient's decision maker if an agent

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has not been designated or an applicable advanced directive has not been executed by the patient;

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and (ii) the facility's institutional review board approves the human subjects research pursuant to

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the requirements of 21 CFR Part 50 and/or 45 CFR Part 46 (relating to the informed consent of

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human subjects). Any health care facility engaging in research pursuant to the requirements of

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subparagraph (b) herein shall file a copy of the relevant research protocol with the department of

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health, which filing shall be publicly available.

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     (11) Upon request, the patient shall be allowed to examine and shall be given an

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explanation of the bill rendered by the health care facility irrespective of the source of payment of

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the bill.

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     (12) Upon request, the patient shall be permitted to examine any pertinent health care

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facility rules and regulations that specifically govern the patient's treatment.

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     (13) The patient shall be offered treatment without discrimination as to race, color,

 

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religion, national origin, or source of payment.

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     (14) Patients shall be provided with a summarized medical bill within thirty (30) days of

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discharge from a health care facility. Upon request, the patient shall be furnished with an itemized

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copy of his or her bill. When patients are residents of state-operated institutions and facilities, the

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provisions of this subsection shall not apply.

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     (15) Upon request, the patient shall be allowed the use of a personal television set

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provided that the television complies with underwriters' laboratory standards and O.S.H.A.

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standards, and so long as the television set is classified as a portable television.

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     (16) No charge of any kind, including, but not limited to, copying, postage, retrieval or

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processing fees, shall be made for furnishing a health record or part of a health record to a patient,

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his or her attorney or authorized representative if the record or part of the record is necessary for

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the purpose of supporting an appeal under any provision of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §

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301 et seq., and the request is accompanied by documentation of the appeal or a claim under the

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provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act, chapters 29 – 38 of title 28 or for any patient who

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is a veteran and the medical record is necessary for any application for benefits of any kind. A

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provider shall furnish a health record requested pursuant to this section, by mail, electronically or

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otherwise, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the request. All requested records not received

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within thirty-five (35) days shall result in a penalty of one dollar ($1.00) per day, per record,

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payable to the Rhode Island Medical Society. For the purposes of this section, "provider" shall

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include any out of state entity that handles medical records for in-state providers. Further, for

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patients of school based health centers, the director is authorized to specify by regulation an

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alternative list of age appropriate rights commensurate with this section.

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     (17) The patient shall have the right to have his or her pain assessed on a regular basis.

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     (18) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, upon request, patients

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receiving care through hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living residences and home health care

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providers, shall have the right to receive information concerning hospice care, including the

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benefits of hospice care, the cost, and how to enroll in hospice care.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - RIGHTS OF PATIENTS - MEDICAL RECORD

FEES FOR VETERANS

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     This act would require healthcare providers to provide veterans copies of their medical

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records at no charge if the records are used to apply for benefits of any kind.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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