GAO: Medical records are still too challenging to obtain — 7 things to know

Becker's Healthcare May 15, 2018
Julie Spitzer

Despite a HIPAA-granted right to their own medical records, patients still struggle to easily access their data, according to a May Government Accountability Office audit.

The fees patients are charged to access their records vary across states and by the type of request, according to the government watchdog, which reviewed the laws of four states — Ohio, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Wisconsin — and interviewed various stakeholders including provider associations, vendors that work for providers, patient advocates, state officials and HHS officials for its audit.

Here are seven things to know.

1. HIPAA allows providers to charge patients a reasonable cost-based fee when they request copies of their medical records or ask their data be sent to another provider. However,...

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