Section 44-6-180 - Confidentiality of patient records; controlled dissemination of data; violations and penalties(A) Patient records received by counties, the department, or other entities involved in the administration of the program created pursuant to Section 44-6-150 are confidential. Patient records gathered pursuant to Section 44-6-170 are also confidential. The Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office shall use patient-identifiable data collected pursuant to Section 44-6-170 for the purpose of linking various data bases to carry out the purposes of Section 44-6-170. Linked data files must be made available to those agencies providing data files for linkage. No agency receiving patient-identifiable data collected pursuant to Section 44-6-170 may release this data in a manner such that an individual patient or provider may be identified except as provided in Section 44-6-170. Nothing in this section may be construed to limit access by a submitting provider or its designee to that provider's information.(B) A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.1993 Act No. 181, Section 1054; 1993 Act No. 130, Section 4; 1989 Act No. 189, Part II, Section 35G; 1985 Act No. 201, Part II, Section 19C.