§2152. Disclosure of information in medical support recoupment and child support cases

1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A. "Assets" means any interest in real or personal property.   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

B. "Medicaid recipient" means an individual authorized by the department to receive services under the provisions of the United States Social Security Act, Title XIX and successors to it.   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

[PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

2.  Request for information concerning responsible parents.  Except as provided in subsection 5, the department may request of any person information needed to establish, modify or enforce a support order, including a responsible parent's or alleged responsible parent's:

A. Complete name;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

B. Social security number;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

C. Date and place of birth;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

D. Present and past employment status;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

E. Earnings;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

F. Current or last known address;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

G. Assets and liabilities;   [PL 1997, c. 537, §31 (AMD); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

H. Availability and description of present or previous health insurance coverage for a dependent child; and   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

I. Health insurance benefits paid or applied for under a policy of health insurance for a dependent child.   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

[PL 1997, c. 537, §31 (AMD); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

3.  Request for information concerning present and former Medicaid recipients.  The department may request of any person information relating to the following matters concerning a present or former Medicaid recipient:

A. Availability and description of health insurance coverage; and   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

B. Health insurance benefits paid or applied for under a policy of health insurance.   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

[PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

4.  Demand for information.

[PL 1997, c. 537, §32 (RP); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

5.  If paternity has not been established.  If an alleged responsible parent is a putative father of a child conceived and born out of wedlock, a request for information must be limited to the following matters concerning the alleged responsible parent:

A. Complete name;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

B. Date and place of birth;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

C. Present and past employment status;   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

D. Social security number; and   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

E. Current or last known address.   [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

[PL 1997, c. 537, §33 (AMD); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

5-A.  Duty to disclose.  All persons, as defined in section 101, subsection 9, shall respond fully and promptly to a request for information made by the department under this section and to a request for similar information made by another state's child support enforcement agency, except that information that is privileged under the Maine Rules of Evidence need not be disclosed.

[PL 1997, c. 537, §34 (NEW); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

6.  Immunity from liability.  A person who discloses information requested by the department under this section or who discloses similar information requested by another state's child support enforcement agency is immune from liability to any other person because of the disclosure, unless the information is privileged under the Maine Rules of Evidence.

[PL 1997, c. 537, §35 (RPR); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

7.  Affirmation of responses.  The department may require that a response to a request for information be affirmed under the penalties for unsworn falsification under Title 17-A, section 453.

[PL 1997, c. 537, §36 (AMD); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

8.  Facilitation of responses.  The department or other requesting agency shall provide a prepaid, preaddressed envelope with each request for information.

[PL 1997, c. 537, §37 (RPR); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

9.  Notice to responsible parent or alleged responsible parent.  When requesting information as provided by this section, the department shall send a copy of the request to the responsible parent or alleged responsible parent by regular mail to the responsible parent or alleged responsible parent's last known address.

[PL 1997, c. 537, §37 (RPR); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

10.  Penalties for nondisclosure.  A person who knowingly fails to respond to a request for information, who knowingly fails to disclose information requested or who knowingly refuses to disclose, commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture not to exceed $1,000 may be adjudged.

A.   [PL 1997, c. 537, §37 (RP); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

B.   [PL 1997, c. 537, §37 (RP); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

[PL 1997, c. 537, §37 (RPR); PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF).]

11.  Confidentiality of information; unlawful dissemination; penalty.  All information collected in connection with the department's child support enforcement activity and medical support recoupment pursuant to this section is confidential and available only for the use of appropriate departmental personnel and legal counsel for the department in carrying out their functions. A person is guilty of unlawful dissemination if that person knowingly disseminates information in violation of this subsection. Unlawful dissemination is a Class E crime that, notwithstanding Title 17-A, section 1604, subsection 1, paragraph E, is punishable by a fine of not more than $500 or by imprisonment for not more than 30 days.

[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §65 (AMD).]

12.  Admissible evidence.  If a person, in response to a request for information pursuant to this section, provides records or data from regularly conducted business, the information is admissible as a public record pursuant to the Maine Rules of Evidence 803(8)(A) and is not within the investigative report exception found in the Maine Rules of Evidence 803(8)(B) because the information is provided pursuant to a duty imposed by law and is inherently reliable.

[PL 2001, c. 264, §10 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1995, c. 694, §B2 (NEW). PL 1995, c. 694, §E2 (AFF). PL 1997, c. 537, §§31-37 (AMD). PL 1997, c. 537, §62 (AFF). PL 2001, c. 264, §10 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §65 (AMD).