Communicable Disease: Confidentiality Requirements
IN Communicable Disease Confidentiality
Health
This chapter keeps medical and epidemiological information about reportable communicable diseases, including HIV, confidential. It may be released only in de-identified statistical form, with written consent, for public health or specified legal purposes, or to a nonprofit health data service during a declared public health response.
- Where
- Indiana
- Citation
- Ind. Code ch. 16-41-8 (IC 16-41-8-0.2 to 16-41-8-6 and following)
- Status
- In force
- Last amended
- 2025-07-01
- Enforced by
- Criminal prosecution (county prosecutors)
- People can sue
- No
- Penalties
- Reckless, knowing, or intentional disclosure or failure to protect reported information is a Class A misdemeanor (IC 16-41-8-1(c)); other reckless violations are Class B misdemeanors, each day a separate offense (IC 16-41-8-3).
- Applies to
- Any person holding medical or epidemiological information about a reportable communicable or other serious disease, such as HIV; heightened duties for persons who record, report, or maintain information reported under IC 16-41-2 (IC 16-41-8-1)
Practices it requires
- Do not disclose medical or epidemiological information about a communicable or serious disease except as the chapter allows (de-identified statistics, written consent, public health enforcement, protection of a named party, or approved public health data services).IC 16-41-8-1(b)
Security duties
- Persons who record, report, or maintain reportable disease information must protect it from disclosure.IC 16-41-8-1(c)
Sources
- Official text
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 16, Chapter 41-8 (Indiana General Assembly)
- SEA 473 (2025), P.L.143-2025, SECTIONS 30-33 amending IC 16-41-8, effective July 1, 2025
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Research reference, not legal advice.