|
Answer: Patients are entitled to copies of their medical records, and a practice should provide the occasionally requested copy at no charge as a service to the patient. However, if you have a patient who abuses the privilege and frequently asks for copies of the entire medical record, you should try to find out why the patient needs the copies. It is possible your practice doesn't know about a patient's problem.
If a patient is leaving your practice and requests a copy of the medical record, you shouldn't charge for a copy because that record is part of the patient's medical care and may be used by the succeeding physician. Similarly, you would not charge for medical-record copies when you are sending them to another physician. You would not charge an insurance company for a copy of patient records because the company is entitled to see the documentation so it can reimburse you.
If an outside third party requests a patient's records, such as an attorney or a credit bureau, it is appropriate to charge the third party for copies. Before you release any information, you must make sure the patient has signed an authorization for you to do so. The authorization to release information and the assignment of benefits should be part of the practice's patient registration form.
The charge for medical-record copies should be what the current market bears, and most practices set a fee per page. You should establish a fee for attorneys and credit bureaus. They will call sometimes to inquire about your fee and the size of the record, and will send a check to cover it with their written request. |
