§ 5-37.7-12. Reconciliation with other authorities. (a) This chapter shall only apply to the HIE system, and does not apply to any other private and/or public-health information systems utilized in Rhode Island, including other health information systems utilized within or by a healthcare facility or organization.

(b) As this chapter provides extensive protection with regard to access to and disclosure of confidential healthcare information by the HIE, it supplements, with respect to the HIE only, any less stringent disclosure requirements, including, but not limited to, those contained in chapter 37.3 of this title, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and regulations promulgated thereunder, and any other less stringent federal or state law.

(c) This chapter shall not be construed to interfere with any other federal or state laws or regulations that provide more extensive protection than provided in this chapter for the confidentiality of healthcare information. Notwithstanding such provision, because of the extensive protections with regard to access to and disclosure of confidential healthcare information by the HIE provided for in this chapter, patient authorization obtained for access to or disclosure of information to or from the HIE or a provider participant shall be deemed the same authorization required by other state or federal laws including information regarding mental health (the Rhode Island mental health law, § 40.1-5-1 et seq.); HIV (§ 23-6.3-7); sexually transmitted disease (§§ 23-6.3-7 and 23-11-9); alcohol and drug abuse (§ 23-1.10-1 et seq., 42 U.S.C. § 290dd-2), or genetic information (§ 27-41-53, § 27-20-39, and § 27-19-44).

History of Section. (P.L. 2008, ch. 171, § 2; P.L. 2008, ch. 466, § 2; P.L. 2010, ch. 239, § 14.)