Elder Abuse HCCA (H 7091A, S 2094)

In June, the House passed legislation requiring health care providers to report alleged incidents of elder abuse to law enforcement, furthering a trend in recent years of the General Assembly approving legislation weakening the state’s health care confidentiality laws.  In April, the ACLU testified before the House Health, Education and Welfare committee that medical providers who suspect elder abuse is taking place are already required to report such abuse to the department of elderly affairs. Once allegations have been substantiated, law enforcement is notified. In bypassing the department of elderly affairs, this legislation ignores the expertise of the department and the wishes of the elderly patient, and automatically requires law enforcement to intervene in a wide variety of family situations. The ACLU gave similar testimony before the Senate Judiciary committee in May, but the Senate approved the legislation in June.