SECTION 1. Section 12G of Chapter 112 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 official edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end of the section the following new paragraph:-

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the protections established under this section also shall apply to any disclosure of information by a physician, a health care facility, as defined in section 9C of this Chapter, or any other medical provider or by an agent of any of the foregoing to another healthcare provider or carrier, as such terms are defined in section 1 of chapter 176O of the general laws, as well as a government program so long as such disclosure is made in connection with the treatment, payment or health care operations, and such disclosure is in compliance with applicable federal privacy laws.  The terms treatment, payment and health care operations shall have the same definitions as used in the federal privacy regulations, 45 C.F.R. § 164.501.