Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Maine

Disclosure of private information

I was recently filling out a patient information form for my new dentist and it asked for my husband's SS# as well medical information including whether or not I have or have ever had a venereal disease (I do currently have herpes). What exactly am I required to tell them? What are the consequences of lying on this form?


Asked on 5/31/02, 5:26 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Charles Aspinwall Charles S. Aspinwall, J.D., LLC

Re: Disclosure of private information

There are no legal consequences to lying on the form, but a better approach might be to discuss the intrusive questions with the professional.

A private individual may not legally withhold services if you refuse to disclose your SSN [or your husband's] and in this time when there will be about one million cases of identity theft this year randomly providing that number is unwise.

Knowledge of an STD may well be important in the case of dentistry as the equipment can be contaminated, but again discussion with the professional should suffice without the necessity of disclosing a condition on some form.

Again, the form is designed to benefit the professional, and indirecty the patient to some degree, but if it is felt to be too intrusive a discussion would seem to be in order and omission of the SSN and other information while perhaps unwise is not a crime or a wrong the law recognizes as needing to be dealt with.

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Answered on 6/01/02, 12:12 am


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