News
Do I Need a BAA With My Vendor? A Plain-English Guide to Which Vendors Require a Business Associate Agreement · Business AssociatesYour 'Success Story' Program Just Cost This Rehab Facility $182,000: The Cadia Healthcare HIPAA Settlement · OCR EnforcementAn Accounting Firm Just Paid a HIPAA Fine: BST and Co. CPAs and What It Means for Professional Services Firms · OCR Enforcement15 Million Records, a $10,000 Fine, and a Company That No Longer Exists: The MMG Fusion Story · OCR EnforcementOCR Creates Religious Discrimination Units: What the Restructuring Means for HIPAA Enforcement · Rule UpdateOCR Director: The Cost of Doing Nothing Is Very High · Rule UpdateHIPAA Victims May Soon Receive a Share of OCR Fines: What the Proposed Compensation Program Means · Rule UpdateOCR Restructured: Three New Divisions and What It Means for HIPAA Enforcement · Rule UpdateRehab Center Pays $103,000 After Phishing Attack: OCR's 11th Risk Analysis Enforcement Action · OCR EnforcementConcentra Pays $112,500 After Patient Made Six Records Requests Over 13 Months · OCR EnforcementHIPAA Security Rule Final Rule: May Deadline Passes With No Announcement · Rule UpdateDo I Need a BAA With My Vendor? A Plain-English Guide to Which Vendors Require a Business Associate Agreement · Business AssociatesYour 'Success Story' Program Just Cost This Rehab Facility $182,000: The Cadia Healthcare HIPAA Settlement · OCR EnforcementAn Accounting Firm Just Paid a HIPAA Fine: BST and Co. CPAs and What It Means for Professional Services Firms · OCR Enforcement15 Million Records, a $10,000 Fine, and a Company That No Longer Exists: The MMG Fusion Story · OCR EnforcementOCR Creates Religious Discrimination Units: What the Restructuring Means for HIPAA Enforcement · Rule UpdateOCR Director: The Cost of Doing Nothing Is Very High · Rule UpdateHIPAA Victims May Soon Receive a Share of OCR Fines: What the Proposed Compensation Program Means · Rule UpdateOCR Restructured: Three New Divisions and What It Means for HIPAA Enforcement · Rule UpdateRehab Center Pays $103,000 After Phishing Attack: OCR's 11th Risk Analysis Enforcement Action · OCR EnforcementConcentra Pays $112,500 After Patient Made Six Records Requests Over 13 Months · OCR EnforcementHIPAA Security Rule Final Rule: May Deadline Passes With No Announcement · Rule Update

A patient wants a copy of their medical records

Patients have a legal right to their records. You have 30 days to provide them.

  1. 1

    Have the patient complete a records request form

    Give the patient your practice's standard records release form. Verify their identity before handing over any records.

  2. 2

    Note the date of the request

    Your 30-day clock starts today. Write it down. If you cannot fulfill the request within 30 days you can request a 30-day extension but must notify the patient.

  3. 3

    Provide records in the format they request

    If a patient asks for electronic records, provide them electronically if you can. You may charge a reasonable cost-based fee for copies.

  4. 4

    Document the fulfillment

    Keep a record of when the request was made, when it was fulfilled, and what was provided. This is required by HIPAA.

Important

There are very limited exceptions to a patient's right to their records, for example, psychotherapy notes have separate rules. Consult your privacy officer for unusual situations.

Related

Ask AI about this situation →

Not legal advice. Follow your organization's policies and consult counsel for legal questions.