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<section article="ghg" article_name="Health - General" number="19-214.3" title_number="19" title_name="Health Care Facilities" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Health Services Cost Review Commission">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>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.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The process established under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>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</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Provide the patient or the patient’s authorized representative with the following information:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>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</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>The address, phone number, facsimile number, e–mail address, mailing address, and website of the Health Education and Advocacy Unit.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, a complaint filed with the Commission is a public record and is subject to reasonable inspection.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Commission shall deny inspection of the complainant’s name, address, or any other personal identifying information.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The filing of a complaint under this subsection does not prevent an individual from:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Exercising any right or seeking any remedy to which the individual may otherwise be entitled; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Filing a complaint with any other agency or a court.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>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.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An individual or a governmental unit is not required to exhaust the administrative remedy authorized under this subtitle before filing suit.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>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.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>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.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>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.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Before imposing a fine, the Commission shall consider the appropriateness of the fine in relation to the severity of the violation.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>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.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
