# COMAR Title 30 — Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS)

## Subtitle 09 — Commercial Ambulance Services

### Chapter 02 — Patient Rights

**Authority:** Education Article, §13-515, Annotated Code of Maryland

**Administrative History:** Effective date: October 12, 1992 (19:20 Md. R. 1816)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .06A amended as an emergency provision effective January 6, 1997 (24:2 Md. R. 114); amended permanently effective July 7, 1997 (24:10 Md. R. 711)

**Administrative History:** Chapter recodified from COMAR 14.22.02 to COMAR 30.09.02, August, 1997

**Administrative History:** Regulations .01—.06, Eligibility and Application, repealed effective January 10, 2000 (26:27 Md. R. 2017)

**Administrative History:** Regulations .01—.02, Patient Rights, adopted effective January 10, 2000 (26:27 Md. R. 2017)

#### Regulation .01 Scope.

*COMAR 30.09.02.01*

This chapter describes the rights of patients transported or treated by commercial ambulance services.

#### Regulation .02 Patient Rights.

*COMAR 30.09.02.02*

A commercial ambulance service shall provide each patient:

A. Considerate and respectful care;

B. Information from the commercial ambulance service necessary in order to give informed consent for transport or treatment, or both;

C. The opportunity to refuse transport or treatment when the patient is apparently competent to do so;

D. Reasonable privacy concerning a patient's transportation and care;

E. Confidentiality of all communications and records relating to patient transportation and care except to the extent otherwise required by law;

F. Reasonable response to a request for services once the commercial ambulance service is engaged to provide service;

G. Service that is within reasonable limits of the scheduled pickup and delivery times;

H. Reasonable continuity of care once the commercial ambulance service is engaged to provide service;

I. An opportunity to examine and receive an explanation of the patient's bill;

J. An environment in the commercial ambulance free from recognized hazards and unreasonable annoyances including but not limited to:

  (1) Smoking,

  (2) Loud radio, and

  (3) Loud conversation by the crew; and

K. Information that commercial ambulance services operating in Maryland are regulated by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems.