Section 4-401 - Concealment of records and reports.
§ 4-401. Concealment of records and reports.
(a) "Provider" defined.- In this section, "provider" means:
(1) An acupuncturist;
(2) A chiropractor;
(3) A dentist;
(4) A nurse;
(5) An optometrist;
(6) A physician;
(7) A podiatrist; or
(8) A person who is employed by or under contract with a hospital, nursing institution, or other health care provider.
(b) Concealment prohibited.- A provider may not knowingly or willfully destroy, damage, alter, obliterate, or otherwise obscure a medical record, hospital report, laboratory report, X-ray report, or other information about a patient in an effort to conceal the information from use as evidence in an administrative, civil, or criminal proceeding.
(c) Penalty.- A provider who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or both.
[An. Code 1957, art. 27, § 275A; 1982, ch. 21, § 2; 1990, ch. 480, § 1; 1997, ch. 235.]