Claims Application Forms: Authorization for Release of Information

When a claimant files a workers’ compensation claim with the Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC), the claim application form must include an authorization for the release of medical information for the alleged injured body part. The medical authorization is provided to: 1) the claimant’s attorney, 2) the claimant’s employer, and 3) the insurer of the claimant’s employer.

Senate Bill 830, which has since been approved by Governor Wes Moore on May 6, 2025 and takes effect October 1, 2025, expands the automatic recipients of a claimant’s medical authorization to include the UEF (Uninsured Employers’ Fund) and the SIF (Subsequent Injury Fund). Additionally, SB 830 also authorizes the release of financial information that may be relevant to the alleged injured body part, as well as information relating to additional claims filed by the claimant. SB 830 does not alter the one-year validity of the authorization for release.

The purpose of SB 830 is to allow the State Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company to obtain a claimant’s medical and financial information via an authorization for release, bypassing the need to expend costs on issuing subpoenas.

Written by Patrick A. Short, Esq.