California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA)

What this entry covers

The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (California Civil Code §56 et seq.) generally prohibits health care providers, health care service plans and contractors from disclosing patients’ medical information, subject to listed exceptions and patient authorization. Civil Code §56.06 also applies it to businesses offering medical application software designed to let individuals manage their health information.

MyRHC indexes this framework so practitioners, auditors, and automated agents can find the authoritative primary sources in one place. This page is a navigation aid. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for the official text.

Official documentation

• Primary official source: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml?tocCode=CIV&division=1.&title=&part=2.6.&chapter=&article=
• California Attorney General bulletin on SB 81 (October 2025): https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/SB%2081%20Bulletin%20-%20October%202025.pdf

Recent changes

• 2025-09-20: SB 81 amended the CMIA, treating place of birth and current or prior immigration status as protected medical information. California Attorney General

How to use this index entry

1. Open the official link above (or the agency home if the deep link drifts).
2. Confirm edition / revision date against your program scope.
3. Map applicability by sector and jurisdiction listed in the metadata.
4. Follow related frameworks only after checking their own official sources.

Disclaimers

• MyRHC does not host proprietary standards text (ISO, some industry bodies).
• Where standards are paywalled, we link to the publisher’s catalog page.
• Always verify current requirements with counsel and the issuing authority.