We have previously written on the topic of medical records. See our website on our Home Page at the News & Articles and Patient Resources tab at https://www.mishkindlaw.com for more information on your rights. The attorneys at Mishkind Kulwicki Law are patient safety advocates and, as such, we need to examine your records to uncover the truth about what happened. Our clients frequently ask us how to go about requesting their medical records and what will it cost to obtain their health records.
The cost in 2011 has been adjusted and it is important to know the cost so that when you fill out a release and it is delivered or mailed to the medical record department at the hospital you will know what the charge will be. As long as a properly executed authorization has been signed, you or your legal representative are entitled to a complete set of your records. It is improper to refuse to release a copy of the records because the hospital or doctor is concerned the records may be used for litigation purposes. You do not need to disclose the purpose of the request to be entitled to your records. The tricky part of the request is knowing what to ask for, as certain hospitals have records that are EMR(electronic medical records) and certain records that are part of the bedside/floor chart and the hospital chart. There are other parts of the record, depending on the type of care received, that may not automatically become part of your medical records. Knowing what to ask for is important. If the authorization or release of protected medical information is signed by you or your “personal representative” then the cost for records in 2011 is:
| For the first ten pages: | $2.88 | per page | $2.83 | ||
| For pages eleven through fifty: | $0.60 | per page | $0.59 | ||
| For pages fifty-one and higher: | $0.24 | per page | |||
If the records are requested by someone other than the patient or “personal representative then
the charges can include a $17.70 record search fee regardless of the number of pages of records. Then the cost is as follows:
| For the first ten pages: | $1.17 | per page | 1.15 | ||
| For pages eleven through fifty: | $0.60 | per page | 0.59 | ||
| For pages fifty-one and higher: | $0.24 | per page | |||
Make sure that a properly executed HIPAA authorization has been signed otherwise the request for release of medical records will be denied. For further information on costs see Ohio Revised Code Section 3701.742