Charging for copying patient records

by CHARLES FIEGL on Aug 6, 2009

Most states will allow you to charge patients for making copies of their patient records. This recently came to light during a discussion on the Part B News listserv.

However, the laws regulating copy processing fees vary from state to state. The Law Offices of Thomas J. Lamb, P.A. in Wilmington, N.C., posted a website listing the state laws for what providers can charge patients or a patient's representative. Here are a few I found interesting:

  • Georgia -- No more than $22.78 for administrative costs (I'm not sure how they arrived at $22.78?) can be charged.
  • Illinois -- You get a better deal - $22.28 for processing requests for copies; and then 84 cents for pages 1-25, 56 cents for pages 26-50 and 28 cents for pages 50 and up.
  • Kansas -- There's a $17.50 fee for labor; and 58 cents per page for the first 250 pages and 41 cents per page for additional pages.
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