Can my doctor charge me $15 for a copy of my medical records?!


Question: Can my doctor charge me $15 for a copy of my medical records?
I read online that they can only charge you 75 cents at most per page of medical records (unless some xrays or something were taken also). I'm not sure how old this rule is though.

I want to get a copy but I am not wasting $15! Is that reasonable?? My doc pretty much just wrote down that I had headaches and that was it-- no tests or any other type of document other than what he wrote. Surely the clinic is trying to milk money out of me...

Answers:

Yes, this is completely within the normal rates. There are specific state laws regarding the 'maximum' that can be charged for medical records.. but they are all fairly similar.

Usually a flat fee of $5-20, plus .50cents to a dollar per page of records.

For xrays themselves (not the reports) they can charge $10 or so per Xray.

It is, of course, ridiculous -- and yes they are 'milking money' from their patients they already overcharge in general .. but our healthcare is a very poor system in the first place.. this is no different.

Minimal charges are reasonable because someone does have to gather the records and 'handle/arrange' them to get them to you via mail, fax, etc. It is a bit of someone's time -- so this is why it is 'legal'.

However some places abuse the guidelines by the state and charge the maximum.

Alot of offices will have a policy of a 30 day turn around time, with 1 per page + flat fee. So if you have been a patient for years and years you could have 100+ pages of records, and it can add up.

Best advice is to get your records one time.. (15 dollars is reasonable, it really isn't that much money.. and it is worth it to have your records for your future.. the earlier you start collecting them the better your 'history' is later on in life) -- But from now on, after each visit request them to give you a copy of that days records/notes or immediately fax them if they say they don't have time. Most office personelle will work with patients on just the current days/visits records because you are in person and believe it or not it is alot easier to say no, or give no slack over the phone/email than when someone is standing in front of you.

You can't demand them to give you the days records immediately, but you catch more with honey.. so be nice , have a good relationship with the office staff and they will work with you.

Then you can negate ever having to pay for them again.

If you have had any Urinalysis or Blood work those lab results should be provided in the records.. if it has been consultation (talk) only.. then all you will have are the clinical notes from the doctor which should include your complaints and the doctors assessment of such.

Thought I would add this:

Here is a link to relatively current guidelines that each state has to abide by for 'maximum' fee's.

http://www.lamblawoffice.com/medical-rec…



There is no set price that a Dr.'s office can or cannot charge. The law only states that they have to make your information available to you for a "reasonable" fee. Reasonable to you and reasonable to them could mean two completely different things.
Good luck!!

Nursing for 15 years.



You are paying for the copies as well as the service. I agree it sounds high if all there is to copy is one page of notes, but if that is what they charge for the service, you have no choice but to take it or leave it.

RN



They should have a going rate and its usually so much a page. This is crazy. Can you ask them if you can make your own copy? I'd at least try and see what they say.



They can charge anything they want, your only choice is to pay it or not pay it, sorry.

Good luck!... :-D




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