{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-18-337","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Health - General § 18–337","heading":"","body":"(a) In this section, “health care provider” means a physician, a physician’s designee, or a designee of a health care facility licensed or otherwise authorized to provide health care services.\n(b) If an individual informed of the individual’s HIV positive status under § 18-336 of this subtitle refuses to notify the individual’s sexual and needle-sharing partners, the individual’s physician may inform the local health officer and/or the individual’s sexual and needle-sharing partners of:\n(1) The individual’s identity; and\n(2) The circumstances giving rise to the notification.\n(c) When the local health officer is notified, the health officer shall enforce the provisions of §§ 18-208 through 18-213.1 of this title:\n(1) Within a reasonable time; and\n(2) To the extent feasible.\n(d) Each local health officer shall refer the infected individual and any known sexual or needle-sharing partners of the individual to appropriate services for the care, support, and treatment for HIV infected individuals.\n(e) A physician acting in good faith to provide notification in accordance with this section may not be held liable in any cause of action related to a breach of patient confidentiality.\n(f) A physician acting in good faith may not be held liable in any cause of action for choosing not to disclose information related to a positive test result for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus to an individual’s sexual and needle-sharing partners.\n(g) A hospital or any other health care provider acting in good faith pursuant to a physician’s order to perform or interpret a test for the presence of HIV may not be held liable in any cause of action related to:\n(1) A breach of patient confidentiality; or\n(2) A physician’s decision to disclose or not to disclose information related to a positive test result to a local health officer and/or an individual’s sexual and needle-sharing partners.","path":["Article - Health - General"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=ghg\u0026section=18-337","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:58:48Z","sha256":"be314ccb13eb945c8acea238d6670306b2a8e267f031d4a94bde42a53f68b550","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-18-336","next":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-18-338"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}