How Do I Get a Copy of My Medical Records?
Under Missouri law, patients have a right to obtain their medical records from Missouri medical providers. Section 191.227 RSMo., provides that you are entitled to a copy of your medical records in response to a written request. The medical provider must provide the copies to you within a reasonable time, unless the provider determines that it should limit your access “consistent with the patient’s condition and sound therapeutic treatment”. The same statute also provides for the maximum fee that you can be charged for the copies.
Those who can obtain records on the patient’s behalf include the “patient, or guardian or legally authorized representative of a patient”. When you hire a medical malpractice attorney or workers compensation attorney at Kennedy, Kennedy, Robbins & Yarbro, LC, we will ask you to sign a HIPAA-compliant medical authorization so that we can obtain your medical records from your medical providers.
A 2013 modification to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), permits patients to receive a copy of their medical records in an electronic format. Prior to this rule change, many medical providers would only provided you a paper copy of their medical records, which did not provide evidence of the electronic data showing the time and who had accessed the electronic medical records.
Our medical malpractice attorneys will have your records reviewed by our staff nurse, a qualified physician or another medical professional who is skilled in reading medical records, to determine whether your medical care fell within accepted standards. Our workers compensation attorneys will obtain your records to help determine the true nature of any permanent disability you may have sustained from a work related accident.
If you are interested in learning more about our firm’s legal services, including medical malpractice or workers compensation claims in Missouri, you may ask questions or send us information about a particular case by phone or email. We do not charge for contacting us regarding your injury or malpractice inquiry.
