$66 is a bargain compared to pricing i got 14 yrs ago. i was moving from the chicago area to orlando & wanted to take copies of my health & dental records w/. my dentist flat out refused me even copies and gave me just 1 panoramic x-ray, i only had childhood cavities, no other work so that was not much of a big deal. Hammond Clinic, where all of my doctors were, was charging $150 starting plus page costs. i did have a large file and wanted my records because i had had a severe head/neck/back injury as a teen, cervical & skin cancer at 22yrs and a workman's comp arm injury at 28 yrs old.

i decided to not get the file and wing it...they were transferring all records back then to digital so i may look into getting it again, maybe it would be cheaper. ~ liz

If those are the PA guidelines are you sure that's what your physician will charge? Since I had to take my father to multiple specialists are a regular basis I got in the habit of getting copies of his test results etc. while I was in the office. They normally didn't charge since I wasn't requesting an entire medical file. The one time I needed his old records from a previous doctor I think I paid around $15.00.

It is my understanding that if your new Dr request the records, usually there is no charge, or the insurance company will pay. But make sure the Dr. request what you want as some don't want to see the old records as they will treat the patient as a they want to without any opinions from preceding medical staff.
They are now working on a program thru GE, that all medical records will be avaiable to all Doctors no matter where you go, which is a good idea especially for those who move/travel alot. All our medical records are on a computer that anyone in the Medical group has access to, just by looking on the computer.

i have spoken to several co-workers (not patients of my Dr, though) that have paid in excess of $75.
I really do think that they are my records, they should be given to me upon request. If the dr wants a copy for his files, that's his prerogative.
Am I completely wrong in this thinking?

Gee - I recently had the records for all 5 of my pets (and some files were big!) transferred to another vet and it cost me zero, nada, zilch.

Found this information, they may charge a fee for copying but according to this MAY NOT charge for searching and retrieving the info.

Google HIPPA guidelines for obtaining copies of medical records.

You may be charged for making and mailing copies. From a U.S. Health and Human Services FAQ:
Q. "If patients request copies of their medical records as permitted by the Privacy Rule, are they required to pay for the copies?"
A. "The Privacy Rule permits the covered entity to impose reasonable, cost-based fees. The fee may include only the cost of copying (including supplies and labor) and postage, if the patient requests that the copy be mailed. If the patient has agreed to receive a summary or explanation of his or her protected health information, the covered entity may also charge a fee for preparation of the summary or explanation. The fee may not include costs associated with searching for and retrieving the requested information. See 45 CFR 164.524."

You are right that you are entitled to the information in your medical records. However it isn't the physician's prerogative to decide whether he wants a copy or not - legally he is required to. You could try Marie's suggestions and have your new physician request the information.

I don't know what state you live in but most states have statutes that outline how much can be charged. You might be able to check that out.

I know they are your records but it does take time and costs for an employee to do this, I know I worked in public health and had to copy many a chart. You can't realize the amount of time it takes to take a chart apart and copy each page and have things fall out of place and have to reorganize and put it back together.

i believe medical records are the property of the doctor, this probably varies by state. there have been a few cases here in orlando where offices closed, dumped records in dumpsters for anyone to get access to and the doctors office was held liable...

my dh's insurance and medical care is thru his university and recently the doc there was able to pull up all of his records in FL over the last 14 yrs w/ tests, x-rays and scans via computer. personally i'd like to have a digital copy on my laptop/netbook & PDA for when travelling or if i happen to be in a car accident. ~ liz

Try this link.

Here is a link that might be useful: state statutes re: charges for copies of med. records

I moved from Rochester MN to Michigan and Mayo clinic didn't charge me a cent to send (fax, I believe) all of my records to my new clinic. I'm shocked that places charge like that, although a small fee wouldn't seem out of line to me.

When we moved here I transferred the kids records from the pediatrician and mine from the gynocologist at no charge. I thought its your legal right to have them?

I guess I was lucky. I moved about 3 years ago and was not charged anything for my records. I also, a few years before, had changed clinics and was not charged. Maybe today would be different.

I wonder how much they would charge to fax them to you.
If you don't have a fax machine (I doubt many people do nowadays) you can have them send it to a local copy center, library, or office.

trin

Interesting thread. I don't think its your responsibility to transfer files.

I changed last April from a large Health Center to a doctor in private practice, same city. Never even thought of my records. Just assumed they would transfer with me and they did.

I live in PA, and have had records sent from one doctor to another, with my signature on a permission form...never did a Doctor tell me I had to personally take care of the transfer.

I do think it's only fair for you to pay for the copying of all your records if you want a personal copy. That activity would probably take a lot of time in front of a copier, and take that person away from other duties.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was at my doctor's and we were discussing unnecessary tests and procedures (which we both don't believe in)...he held up a folder about 2" thick and said..."these are all your records, over the 8 years you have been my patient"(and that includes copies sent from my cardiologist and others, too)...you should see the size of some others who are in better health than you, some take up almost an entire drawer".

When i changed dr's a few years ago i just filled out a paper at my new dr's office and they sent my records directly to him.
Since i had BC i now ask for a copy of all my test results while i'm still at the office,and they are given to me free of charges.

I've never paid for any records at all.
Kathi

I also ask for test results when I am at the Dr's...but it's easy for the clerk to make 1 copy. Hundreds of pages, including Dr's notes are another matter.

I wonder .... you looked up guidelines for total records. Have you actually asked your doctor for them?

Individuals usually don't make this "all records" request. This is mostly done by other doctors and/or attorneys.

When you ask for "all"..in this world, there might be a fear that you are heading with them to lawyers - shopping lawyers to file a malpractice suit.

When we moved, I had to pay for records for all of my animals. When my doctor died, I also had to pay for our records to be copied. I don't remember the exact amount but it was around one hundred dollars for us.

Hmmm - interesting. I just switched doctors and the new doctor had me sign a release to get my medical records from the old doctor. It didn't cost me a thing. But, I wonder if there is a difference between you getting your info given directly to you verses the info going from doctor to doctor?

I've been lucky in thisd respect. I've seen lots of doctors over the years, they freely exchange records, and it hasn't cost me anything. Seems to be a professional courtesy.

Now, if the new docs would only look at them!

At least here in the practice I work for, if you request records to be sent directly to a particular doctor (ie: changing doctors or seeing a specialist) there is no charge, but if they are for personal use we're supposed to charge (I *think* it's something like 33cents a page, to cover the cost of supplies, etc) but I have never charged anyone. I guess it depends if the practice is a stickler for things like that. If one of my patients called me and wanted a copy of every single page in their 100-page chart, I'd probably refer them to medical records and they would be charged. But usually you just need the last few office visits, last few labs, and last chest x-ray and ekg. For something important (and small) like that I'd usually just do it. I'd much rather have the peace of mind to know that my patient has the important info they need than be a stickler for the rules. That's just me though :-)