California Medical Records Laws
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed November 26, 2019
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Last updated 11/19/2019
Medical records are considered highly sensitive, available only to those who need to know and/or have been given consent. Federal laws govern the privacy protection of medical records, along with some state laws. California medical records laws state that a patient's information may not be disclosed without authorization unless it is pursuant to a court order, or for purposes of communicating important medical data to other health care providers, insurers, and other interested parties.
These laws are encoded in the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, which defines "medical information" as any individually identifiable information that is kept in either physical or electronic form. Parties required to comply with the Act include heath care providers, health care service plan providers (insurers), pharmaceutical companies, and any other entities involved in handling sensitive medical data.
Additionally, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets national standards for the security of electronically stored or transmitted medical data.
The following table highlights the basics of California medical records laws. See Can Doctors Ever Give My Personal Medical Information to Others Without My Permission? for more general information.
Relevant laws |
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Who Has Access to Records? |
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What Privileges Apply to Medical Records? |
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Mandatory Reporting Requirements |
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Patient Consent and Waiver |
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Insurance Companies |
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Provisions Related to HIV/AIDS |
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Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact a California health care attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
Research the Law:
- California Law
- Official State Codes - Links to the official online statutes (laws) in all 50 states and DC.
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