(a) Except as provided in sections 52-146c to 52-146j, inclusive, sections 52-146p, 52-146q and 52-146s, and subsection (b) of this section, in any civil action or any proceeding preliminary thereto or in any probate, legislative or administrative proceeding, a physician or surgeon, licensed pursuant to section 20-9, or other licensed health care provider, shall not disclose (1) any communication made to him or her by, or any information obtained by him or her from, a patient or the conservator or guardian of a patient with respect to any actual or supposed physical or mental disease or disorder, or (2) any information obtained by personal examination of a patient, unless the patient or that patient's authorized representative explicitly consents to such disclosure.

(b) Consent of the patient or the patient's authorized representative shall not be required for the disclosure of such communication or information (1) pursuant to any statute or regulation of any state agency or the rules of court, (2) by a physician, surgeon or other licensed health care provider against whom a claim has been made, or there is a reasonable belief will be made, in such action or proceeding, to the physician's, surgeon's or other licensed health care provider's attorney or professional liability insurer or such insurer's agent for use in the defense of such action or proceeding, (3) to the Commissioner of Public Health for records of a patient of a physician, surgeon or health care provider in connection with an investigation of a complaint, if such records are related to the complaint, or (4) if child abuse, abuse of an elderly individual, abuse of an individual who is physically disabled or incompetent or abuse of an individual with intellectual disability is known or in good faith suspected.

(P.A. 90-177; P.A. 91-141; P.A. 96-47, S. 13; P.A. 11-129, S. 20; P.A. 13-208, S. 63.)

History: P.A. 91-141 rephrased provisions re exceptions to the prohibition on disclosure and added Subsec. (b)(2) and (3) re disclosure to the attorney or professional liability insurer of a physician, surgeon or licensed health care provider and disclosure when abuse of certain individuals is known or suspected; P.A. 96-47 deleted “or other licensed health care provider” in Subsec. (a), adding reference to definitions in Sec. 20-7b(b) and inserted new Subsec. (b)(3) authorizing disclosure to Commissioner of Public Health, renumbering former Subdiv. as Subdiv. (4) (Revisor's note: In Subsec. (a) the phrase “..., a physician, surgeon, as defined in ...” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “..., a physician or surgeon, as defined in ...”); pursuant to P.A. 11-129, “mental retardation” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “intellectual disability” in Subsec. (b); P.A. 13-208 amended Subsec. (a) by adding reference to Secs. 52-146p, 52-146q and 52-146s, substituting reference to Sec. 20-9 for reference to Sec. 20-7b(b), adding provision re other licensed health care provider and making technical changes, and amended Subsec. (b) by making technical changes.

Cited. 225 C. 700; 240 C. 658. A duty of confidentiality arises from the physician-patient relationship and that unauthorized disclosure of confidential information obtained in the course of that relationship gives rise to a cause of action sounding in tort against the health care provider, unless the disclosure is otherwise allowed by law. 327 C. 540. Court cannot conclude that any disclosure of medical records in response to a subpoena complies with Subsec. (b) because a subpoena, without a court order, is not a statute, regulation of a state agency, or rule of the court. Id.

Statutory privilege for medical records does not apply to criminal proceedings. 74 CA 633.