1226.2 Directly Related to the Administration of Programs

Information may be disclosed to non-agency personnel when the purpose of such disclosure is directly related to the administration of the medical assistance programs. This information concerning a client is not to be disclosed without the signed written consent of the client unless the purpose of such disclosure is directly related to those programs. Any information disclosed is to be limited to that which is reasonably necessary to accomplish the purpose of such disclosure. Such purposes include establishing eligibility, determining assistance, and providing services to applicants or recipients.

In the course of providing services to clients, disclosure of information should be made to representatives of other helping agencies or programs only when they can give assurance that:

the confidential nature of the information will be preserved.

the information will be used only for the purposes for which it is made available (such purposes should be reasonably related to the purposes of the medical assistance program and the functioning of the inquiring agencies); and

the standards of protection established by the agency to which the information is disclosed are equal to those established by the agency itself, both with regard to the use of information by staff and the provision of protective office procedures.