Opinion ID: 1314446
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Are the Records Protected from Disclosure as Required by Federal Law?

Text: Next appellants argue that the records are protected from disclosure under OCGA § 50-18-72 (a) (1) because they are required to remain confidential under federal law. 42 USCA § 1395bb (a); 42 CFR § 401.126 (b) (2). Appellees assert that in Harris v. Cox Enterprises, 256 Ga. 299 (348 SE2d 448) (1986), we interpreted this exception to apply only to federal records required by federal law to be kept confidential which are in the hands of a state agency. While the holding of Harris v. Cox Enterprises is not as precise as appellees' interpretation, we now adopt that construction of the federal records exception. The section of the federal statute relied upon by appellants concerns the use of JCAHO accreditation to certify a hospital to receive medicare funds. The section provides: The Secretary may not disclose any accreditation survey (other than a survey with respect to a home health agency made and released to him by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, the American Osteopathic Association, or any other national accreditation body, of an entity accredited by such body, except that the Secretary may disclose such a survey and information related to such a survey to the extent such survey and information relate to an enforcement action taken by the Secretary. 42 USCA § 1395bb (a) (2). OCGA § 50-18-72 (a) (1) exempts from disclosure records specifically required by the federal government to be kept confidential. ... The JCAHO surveys in question are not such records. While JCAHO surveys may be used for both DHR licensing requirements and certification for medicare purposes, there is no requirement under OCGA § 50-18-72 that a report generated by or used by the state for state purposes be exempted from disclosure merely because that report would be kept confidential if generated or used by the federal government for federal purposes.