HB1332: HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CONTACT

Legislative Summary

Amends the Caregiver Advise, Record, and Enable Act. Changes the short title to the Emergency Contact and Caregiver Act. Makes changes to defined terms. Provides that, following the patient's admission into the hospital as an inpatient, a hospital shall provide each patient or, if applicable, the patient's legal representative with an opportunity to designate an emergency contact and the opportunity to authorize the hospital to share the patient's protected health information with the emergency contact. Requires a hospital, if authorized by the patient when the emergency contact was designated, to provide notice to the patient's designated emergency contact of the patient's death or if the patient's condition has become life threatening. Limits the liability of hospitals who attempt to contact an emergency contact. Makes conforming changes.