Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm expressed support for a proposed state law that would prevent healthcare providers from releasing medical records without a patient's permission.
Under the proposal, all medical records would be rendered confidential under state law. Medical providers would face fines of up to $5,000 per violation for releasing medical records without the written consent of patients.
Granholm — who joined several Michigan legislators Feb. 1 to announce her backing of the proposal — said consumers have the right to expect that their medical records would be protected from marketers, employers and strangers.
The proposal mirrors federal regulations approved just before the end of President Clinton's term in office that ban healthcare providers from releasing medical records without consent. Those rules will take effect in two years.
