{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-19-214.3","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Health - General § 19–214.3","heading":"","body":"(a) (1) (i) The Commission shall establish a process for a patient or a patient’s authorized representative to file with the Commission a complaint against a hospital for an alleged violation of § 19–214.1 or § 19–214.2 of this subtitle.\n(ii) The process established under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall:\n1. Include the option for a patient or a patient’s authorized representative to file the complaint jointly with the Commission and the Health Education and Advocacy Unit; and\n2. Provide the patient or the patient’s authorized representative with the following information:\nA. The Health Education and Advocacy Unit is available to assist the patient or the patient’s authorized representative in filing and mediating a reconsideration request; and\nB. The address, phone number, facsimile number, e–mail address, mailing address, and website of the Health Education and Advocacy Unit.\n(2) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, a complaint filed with the Commission is a public record and is subject to reasonable inspection.\n(ii) The Commission shall deny inspection of the complainant’s name, address, or any other personal identifying information.\n(3) The filing of a complaint under this subsection does not prevent an individual from:\n(i) Exercising any right or seeking any remedy to which the individual may otherwise be entitled; or\n(ii) Filing a complaint with any other agency or a court.\n(b) (1) The remedies authorized under this section are in addition to any other statutory, legal, or equitable remedies that may be available and are not intended to be a prerequisite to, or exclusive of, any other remedy.\n(2) An individual or a governmental unit is not required to exhaust the administrative remedy authorized under this subtitle before filing suit.\n(c) (1) A waiver by any patient or other individual of any protection provided by § 19–214.1, § 19–214.2, or § 19–214.4 of this subtitle or any regulation adopted under this subtitle is null and void as being against the public policy of the State.\n(2) Except as prohibited by federal law, a provision in a hospital’s financial assistance policy or agreement between the patient and a hospital that waives any substantive or procedural right or remedy related to conduct prohibited by § 19–214.1, § 19–214.2, or § 19–214.4 of this subtitle or any regulation adopted under this subtitle is null and void as being against the public policy of the State.\n(d) (1) If a hospital knowingly violates any provision of § 19–214.1 or § 19–214.2 of this subtitle or any regulation adopted under this subtitle, the Commission may impose a fine not to exceed $50,000 per violation.\n(2) Before imposing a fine, the Commission shall consider the appropriateness of the fine in relation to the severity of the violation.\n(3) A violation by a hospital or an outside collection agency of § 19–214.1 or § 19–214.2 of this subtitle or any regulation adopted under this subtitle is an unfair, abusive, and deceptive trade practice under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.","path":["Article - Health - General"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=ghg\u0026section=19-214.3","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:58:48Z","sha256":"ae507387deb3ebf0184167d561122a05ecc0fb0a17442ff549ad180a531d4799","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-19-214.2","next":"us-md/md.-code-health-general-19-214.4"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}