HARRY HUGHES, Governor

4231

(a) Every insurer providing professional liability
insurance to a physician OR DOCTOR OF OSTEOPATHY licensed in
Maryland in accordance with Title 14 of the Health
Occupations Article, or to a hospital, nurse, dentist,
[osteopath,] podiatrist, optometrist, chiropractor, or blood
bank licensed under [Article 43] THE HEALTH - GENERAL
ARTICLE OR the Health Occupations Article, and every
self-insured hospital shall report periodically, but in no
event less than once each year, any claim or action for
damages for personal injuries claimed to have been caused by
an error, omission, or negligence in the performance of the
insured's professional services, or based on a claimed
performance of professional services without consent, if the
claim resulted in:

(1)  A final judgment in any amount;

(2)  A settlement in any amount;

(3)  A final disposition not resulting in payment
on behalf of the insured. Reports shall be filed no later
than March 15th of the year following the occurrence of (1),
(2) or (3) above.

(d) The reports filed in accordance with this section
shall be treated as confidential records. The reports shall
be released only for bona fide research or educational
purposes. Reports relating to physicians may be released to
the State Board of Medical Examiners; reports relating to
hospitals and blood banks may be released to the Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene; and reports relating to
nurses, dentists, [osteopaths,] DOCTORS OF OSTEOPATHY,
podiatrists, optometrists, and chiropractors may be released
to the appropriate licensing board for such health
providers. The recipient of the report in its sole
discretion shall determine the validity of any request for
the reports.

Article 62 - Marriages

9.

[(d) All such records which have been sealed as
required by the provisions of this section as amended by
Chapter 105 of the Acts of 1947, shall, immediately after
June 1, 1951, be broken and the records recorded and indexed
as in the case of other marriage records, and shall also be
reported to the State Department of Health as if such
records had never been sealed. The certificates of the
physician shall again be sealed and kept as required by
subsection (c) of this section.]

Article 64A - Merit System

3.