Washington WAC 246-08-400 $26.00 searching and handling fee $1.17 per page for the first 30 pages $0.88 cents per page for all other pages If the provider personally edits confidential information from the record, as required by statute, the provider can charge the usual fee for a basic office visit
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WAC 246-08-400. $26.00 searching and handling fee. $1.17 per page for the first 30 pages. $0.88 cents per page for all other pages. If the provider personally edits confidential information from the record, as required by statute, the provider can charge the usual fee for a basic office visit.
Aug 07, 2020 · No more than one dollar and twenty-four cents ($1.24) per page for the first thirty pages; b. No more than ninety-four ($.94) cents per page for all other pages. (2) Additional charges: a. The provider can charge a twenty-eight ($28.00) dollar clerical fee for searching …
Sep 07, 2017 · Allowable charges for copies of medical records. Chapter 70.02 RCW sets regulations regarding health care information access and disclosure. RCW 70.02.010 (37) defines the “reasonable fee” that may be charged for duplicating or searching the record. It requires the …
The amounts a provider may charge is set by the Department of Health, and changes frequently. Until June 30, 2015, a provider is permitted to charge a $24 clerical fee for each request, plus …
RCW 70.02.010 (38) allows health care providers to charge medical records copy fees for searching and duplicating health care records. The law requires a biannual adjustment on those rates, and the Department of Health recently adopted new rates that become effective on May 28, 2020.
These new rates do not overrule or bypass the HITECH law, which prohibits a health care provider from charging the per page fee in Washington for paper copies if the electronic format is available and if the request is signed by the patient. At Adler Giersch, our offices have transitioned into an electronic record system and much prefer receiving records in an electronic format. It saves time for us and money for our clients/your patients.
Chapter 70.02 RCW sets regulations regarding health care information access and disclosure. RCW 70.02.010 (37) defines the “reasonable fee” that may be charged for duplicating or searching the record. It requires the Secretary of Health to adjust the amounts biennially in accordance with changes in the Consumer Price Index.
HIPAA-covered entities as defined in 45 C.F.R. Sec. 103 may not charge fees or costs that are not authorized by, or are prohibited by, federal HIPAA regulation 45 C.F.R. Sec. 164. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides guidance on what charges are allowed under HIPAA regulations. For guidance, please see:it:
Your right to your medical records is ensured by the federal law known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The state of Washington further guarantees this right through the Washington State Healthcare Information Act. These laws not only allow you access to your medical records, but also place restrictions on how ...
Most healthcare providers have their own procedure for requesting medical records. Typically, the request must be in writing, and the provider will often require the use of a specific form. You will typically be asked to provide certain personal information, which may include: 1 Your name and maiden name (if applicable). 2 Social Security number. 3 Date of birth. 4 Medical record number. 5 Address, phone number, and email address. 6 Which records you are requesting. You can request the whole record or parts of it. Keep in mind that records can be hundreds of pages long, and obtaining all of it could be expensive. 7 The date of the request. 8 The months and years you were under the provider’s care. 9 How you intend to receive the records (a hard copy, fax, email, CD, DVD, USB flash drive, etc.). 10 Signature. 11 The name and contact information of another party who is to receive the records (only if you are having the records sent to another person).
You will typically be asked to provide certain personal information, which may include: Your name and maiden name (if applicable).
All forms of medical records should be made available to you. This includes electronic records, paper records, and records in any other format. You may examine your medical records and/or have a copy made and provided to you.
In most cases, you may obtain the records of your minor (younger than 18) child. You may also obtain the records of any person for whom you are authorized to consent to health care. A patient’s attorney is allowed to obtain a copy of the patient’s medical records.
When a patient’s attorney requests copies of the patient’s medical records, the request most likely is being made “on behalf and at the direction of” the patient. A practice should confirm this assumption and make sure the request meets the listed requirements before releasing the medical record. But assuming these conditions are met, we recommend that practices apply the HIPAA fee limitations to requests from the patient’s attorney. Our recommendation is based on two factors:
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the federal agency charged with enforcing HIPAA, most likely will interpret the regulations in this manner.
The Privacy Rule states that a personal representative (for example, someone with a health care power of attorney or a child’s parents) must be treated like the patient, so the fee limitation also applies to requests from a personal representative.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires medical practices to provide patients, upon request, with access to medical information about them maintained by the practice. HIPAA also imposes limits on the fees that can be charged to patients to access their own records.
We believe , however, that despite this guidance, it would be risky for a medical practice to impose higher fees in these circumstances. OCR has expressed concern about physicians attempting to circumvent the access fee limitations by treating individual requests for access like other HIPAA disclosures, such as by having an individual fill out a HIPAA authorization when the individual requests access to their medical information (including to direct a copy of the medical information to a third party). OCR has also stated that when the form of a request from a third party does not make clear whether the request is a request for access initiated by the patient or merely a HIPAA authorization to disclose PHI to the third party, the medical practice may clarify whether the request was directed by the patient. Given these statements from OCR and the nature of the relationship between the patient and their attorney, we think it becomes hard to argue that the request from the legal representative should not be treated like a request from the individual.
In some cases, a patient’s attorney may directly request the patient’s medical records pursuant to a HIPAA authorization. One of OCR’s regional offices did provide guidance in 2015 that the fee limitations would not apply under these circumstances, as the right to access applies to a patient or their personal representative, not the patient’s legal representative. Under this view, the request by the attorney accompanied by an authorization is not a request for access by the individual.
Typically, the attorney sends a request on their letterhead asking for a copy of the patient’s medical record, and the request includes an authorization signed by the patient permitting you to release the record to her attorney.
In a common scenario, an attorney represents a patient that your agency transported, and the attorney wants a copy of their client’s patient care report. For example, let’s say the patient you transported was in a motor vehicle accident and she is now suing the other driver for her injuries. The patient’s attorney would want a copy of the patient’s trip report to prove those injuries.
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Or, if the patient is simply asking you to send a copy of her records to her, then you can only charge the patient a cost-based fee for that record. Here, the request is coming from the patient.
When it comes to requests from patients , or their personal representatives, HIPAA limits you to charging the patient a reasonable, cost-based fee for the medical records request. You can only charge patients for the cost of:
Lawyer requests for medical records are not limited by HIPAA cost-based fees
Some agencies choose not to charge patients or attorneys anything for medical record requests. Or, some agencies only charge attorneys, but not patients. That’s OK. HIPAA does not require agencies to charge a fee for medical records, and HIPAA does not require that you waive fees for attorneys if you waive fees for patients. HIPAA simply limits the fees you can charge to patients when patients, or their authorized personal representatives, make the request for medical records.
The health care provider may impose a minimum fee of up to $10.00, inclusive of copying costs. Fees are inclusive of searching, handling, copying, and mailing medical records to the patient or the patient's designated representative.
No more than $0.60 per page for paper copies of medical records.
A copying fee, not to exceed one dollar ($1) per page, may be charged by the health care provider for furnishing a second copy of the patient's medical record upon request either by the patient or the patient's attorney or the patient's authorized representative.
A search fee of no more than $10.00 per patient per request. (Although the patient may have had more than one admission, and thus more than one record is provided, only one search fee shall be permitted for that request. The search fee is permitted even though no medical record is found as a result of the search.)
Cost of each photocopy, excluding x-rays, shall not exceed $0.50 per page for the first 25 pages $0.25 for each additional page over 25 pages
ARIZONA. A reasonable fee may be charged. Providers may not charge fees when providing information from the medical records to another health care provider, a patient , or a patient’s decision maker when the information is sought in relation to providing or obtaining care.
The facility or healthcare practitioner may, however, charge for the reasonable cost of all duplication of record material or information that cannot routinely be copied or duplicated on a standard commercial photocopy machine such as X-ray films or pictures.
Copy fees generally cover the time and labor involved with copying. Some states levy a separate fee for "reproduction costs" which cover materials used for copying (i.e. paper, ink, etc.). Some states set copying fees at tiered rates based on number of pages copied.
Providers may charge additional reasonable fees for supplies and labor.