Case records and all other information relating to a GA applicant
or recipient are confidential and will not be disclosed to the general
public (22 M.R.S.A. § 4306).
A. Release of information. Applicants, recipients and their legal representatives
have the right to review their case records. No record will be released
to a third party unless the Administrator receives a signed consent
form in which the applicant expressly authorizes the release of his
or her records to the specified parties. Whenever the Administrator
releases any information, he/she will make a notation in the applicant's
file stating to whom the record was released and the date. The Administrator
may charge a reasonable fee for reproduction of records.
B. Information from other sources; penalty.
(1) Information concerning an applicant or recipient furnished to the
municipality by DHHS or any other agency or institution pursuant to
22 M.R.S.A. § 4314, is confidential. The Administrator will
also comply with laws requiring confidentiality of vital statistic
records, such as birth, marriage and death records (22 M.R.S.A. § 2706).
(2) Any representative of a financial institution or any employer of
a GA applicant who, upon receipt of a written release signed by the
depositor/employee and a written request from the Administrator, refuses
to provide necessary information to the Administrator in order to
verify an applicant's eligibility must state in writing the reason
for the refusal. National banks are also obligated to disclose deposit
information to the Administrator upon receipt of a written request
and release signed by the depositor. Additionally, when a municipality
or its agents are acting in accordance with 22 M.R.S.A. § 4313(2)
to verify eligibility for funeral or cremation benefits, an officer
of a financial institution must disclose the amount deposited upon
receipt of a written request from the municipality or its agents and
a notarized affidavit signed by the overseer of the municipality or
its agents stating that the named depositor is deceased. Any such
person who refuses to provide information, without just cause, may
be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $25 nor more than $100.
Any person, including the applicant, who knowingly and willfully makes
a false representation of a material fact to the Administrator commits
a Class E crime (22 M.R.S.A. §§ 4314 and 4315).
C. Misuse of information. Misuse of any information relating to an applicant
or recipient is a punishable offense [22 M.R.S.A. § 42(2)].