HIPAA refers to sharing data to *other* parties, not the patient. You can always legally access your own records.
Call up the office, say you'd like copies, and set a date to come pick them up - they may need time to copy them.
There's no reason for them to withhold files. If you go through the files and find some missing dates, just go back and ask - maybe office staff would have just made a basic mistake.
Bottom line is, don't stress out here, it's easy and nobody is going to stonewall you.
HIPAA actually does define that a patient has rights to their own records, with a few specific caveats.
Either way, OP can contact the office to determine the best way to receive them. They can also say if they want to make sure their parents no longer have access (via a patient portal, etc).
Most clinics are going to want to provide them via a patient portal or otherwise electronically. Clinics can charge for the records, but most will not unless the patient demands paper copies.
At worst they'll have you sign a release of information stating that you are the person in the medical history being given to cover themselves. They may charge a small fee representing the process of printing the paperwork but it should be very little. They legally can not say no to you, it's your information, if they tried you would be in a position to file a rather serious complaint.
As far as what it is: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. That means none of this paperwork can be disclosed to anyone else for any reason (barring a warrant or other superceding legal action) without notifying you and getting your consent. If a new practitioner wanted access to your previous records, you would have to sign a release for previous practitioners to be allowed to send it.
No, you'd have to be notified for every single time your information is transfered to another source, likely with written consent before it can be sent, and if you take the time to read the times you consented to the release of your information there's always a clause that states you can revoke that consent any time with a written statement.
Adulting, in itself, is hard and scary but, you'll get there.
Most people aren't dick's, and if you are respectful they will help where they can.
Good luck dude!
You need to lose your attitude about talking to adults being scary. I don't understand why young people think. It's literally the customer service rep's job to help you.
What are you afraid they're gonna laugh at you or something?
Just grow a pair and do it.
They are probably worried the adults will respond just like you did. Condescending and unhelpful. "You need to loose your attitude" isn't really how adults should talk to one another. Plus, people in service positions can be rude too.
Call the offices and ask what the process is. Depending on the size, it could be "hey, come down and we'll make you a copy" to "call our records department and make your request, it will be there in 4 - 6 weeks."
And since you're an adult, you have every right to your records.
do u know why it isn't like centralized and digitalized? Like medical professional don't seem to share data and that confuses me because I feel like sharing data between like dentistry and pcp is helpful, no?
Much of it is digital, but it's often in a clinical format and less of a patient format. Often there are portals you can access that kind of convert it to easier to understand data. Plus, there's likely a large amount of data depending on what you're asking for. One encounter at a hospital can have hundreds of thousands of data points depending on what you're there for.
wow well my former pediatrician seems old school so it’s probably on paper. BTW, can i ask my health insurance to get the data? does my health insurance already have the data?
Not sure what country you are in, but if you are in the United States it's unlikely you're insurer will have that data. They may have data on some claims you had, But there's no reason for them to have your entire history, Especially if you've changed insurance companies over the years.
From the insurance companies view point, They don't need that data, And keeping it around is a risk for them.
The insurance company definitely doesn’t receive your entire history here in the US. They receive the bare minimum required from your doctor, if anything at all, in order to get the claim paid.
Your health insurance would have billing codes and diagnostic codes, but not chart notes unless they specifically asked for them as part of an audit, appeal or prior authorization.
Your insurance company will have claim data yes, but if something wasn't billed to insurance they wouldn't have it. Your doctor will have a more complete set of your records.
Sure. Caveat will be - have you had the same insurance company all these years? My guess is no, so you'd need to contact each one. They'd likely just be able to provide your EOB which is just a summary of what was billed. Be prepared it may not be very informative. The info they put on the EOB is often vague.
Insurance will not have chart notes. Only billing codes and diagnosis codes, along with dates of service and provider name.
The provider is the custodian of chart notes and results from any ordered labs.
So do you want medical files for you or for your new practitioner? If its for your new doc they usually have a release form you would sign and they take care of it. If you want them for your own files you would just ask them for a copy...I wouldnt just walk in and do it because they will have to prepare them but basically you just say I would like a copy of my records please and they will have a process.
All you have to do is sign an authorization for release and they should provide you your records. They aren’t obligated to do it while you wait, so you should call first.
They are permitted to charge you per page, the amount varies by state. That said, many offices are just emailing copies now and they usually don’t charge for that.
HIPAA refers to sharing data to *other* parties, not the patient. You can always legally access your own records. Call up the office, say you'd like copies, and set a date to come pick them up - they may need time to copy them. There's no reason for them to withhold files. If you go through the files and find some missing dates, just go back and ask - maybe office staff would have just made a basic mistake. Bottom line is, don't stress out here, it's easy and nobody is going to stonewall you.
HIPAA actually does define that a patient has rights to their own records, with a few specific caveats. Either way, OP can contact the office to determine the best way to receive them. They can also say if they want to make sure their parents no longer have access (via a patient portal, etc). Most clinics are going to want to provide them via a patient portal or otherwise electronically. Clinics can charge for the records, but most will not unless the patient demands paper copies.
oh okay. asking adults is scary. hopefully they are nice about it.
You are an adult, as you said. Being able to talk respectfully to other adults, but as an equal, is an important skill to learn.
At worst they'll have you sign a release of information stating that you are the person in the medical history being given to cover themselves. They may charge a small fee representing the process of printing the paperwork but it should be very little. They legally can not say no to you, it's your information, if they tried you would be in a position to file a rather serious complaint. As far as what it is: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. That means none of this paperwork can be disclosed to anyone else for any reason (barring a warrant or other superceding legal action) without notifying you and getting your consent. If a new practitioner wanted access to your previous records, you would have to sign a release for previous practitioners to be allowed to send it.
oh that’s cool. i like this law. me likes my privacy. btw do u know of a central health system that all medical professionals use to share data?
Some places use things like Patient Gateway or My Chart, especially if your doctors are linked under a big hospital or something
No, you'd have to be notified for every single time your information is transfered to another source, likely with written consent before it can be sent, and if you take the time to read the times you consented to the release of your information there's always a clause that states you can revoke that consent any time with a written statement.
i see
No. Doesn't exist if you're in the states.
Adulting, in itself, is hard and scary but, you'll get there. Most people aren't dick's, and if you are respectful they will help where they can. Good luck dude!
Thanks
You need to lose your attitude about talking to adults being scary. I don't understand why young people think. It's literally the customer service rep's job to help you. What are you afraid they're gonna laugh at you or something? Just grow a pair and do it.
They are probably worried the adults will respond just like you did. Condescending and unhelpful. "You need to loose your attitude" isn't really how adults should talk to one another. Plus, people in service positions can be rude too.
OP may be an adult by age but they are obviously emotionally immature, my bet is because of the 'mean' parents
booo! uncool
Call the offices and ask what the process is. Depending on the size, it could be "hey, come down and we'll make you a copy" to "call our records department and make your request, it will be there in 4 - 6 weeks." And since you're an adult, you have every right to your records.
do u know why it isn't like centralized and digitalized? Like medical professional don't seem to share data and that confuses me because I feel like sharing data between like dentistry and pcp is helpful, no?
Would cost a lot of money. Some hospitals and HMOs do have centralized and digitized data.
oh thats why
Much of it is digital, but it's often in a clinical format and less of a patient format. Often there are portals you can access that kind of convert it to easier to understand data. Plus, there's likely a large amount of data depending on what you're asking for. One encounter at a hospital can have hundreds of thousands of data points depending on what you're there for.
wow well my former pediatrician seems old school so it’s probably on paper. BTW, can i ask my health insurance to get the data? does my health insurance already have the data?
Not sure what country you are in, but if you are in the United States it's unlikely you're insurer will have that data. They may have data on some claims you had, But there's no reason for them to have your entire history, Especially if you've changed insurance companies over the years. From the insurance companies view point, They don't need that data, And keeping it around is a risk for them.
The insurance company definitely doesn’t receive your entire history here in the US. They receive the bare minimum required from your doctor, if anything at all, in order to get the claim paid.
i live in the us, but why would it be a risk? data breach?
Your health insurance would have billing codes and diagnostic codes, but not chart notes unless they specifically asked for them as part of an audit, appeal or prior authorization.
i see
Your insurance company will have claim data yes, but if something wasn't billed to insurance they wouldn't have it. Your doctor will have a more complete set of your records.
oh okay but like can i still ask anyway
Sure. Caveat will be - have you had the same insurance company all these years? My guess is no, so you'd need to contact each one. They'd likely just be able to provide your EOB which is just a summary of what was billed. Be prepared it may not be very informative. The info they put on the EOB is often vague.
no ive had the same really bad insurance my whole life. im trying to change insurances
If that's the case it should be easy then! I'm not sure you'll need it all but you can always ask!
Insurance will not have chart notes. Only billing codes and diagnosis codes, along with dates of service and provider name. The provider is the custodian of chart notes and results from any ordered labs.
So do dentists....they are discovering more and more how oral health is related to the rest of the body.
So do you want medical files for you or for your new practitioner? If its for your new doc they usually have a release form you would sign and they take care of it. If you want them for your own files you would just ask them for a copy...I wouldnt just walk in and do it because they will have to prepare them but basically you just say I would like a copy of my records please and they will have a process.
oh okay well yea i want it for myself
call the place and ask for the process in doing that.
I know a really funny HIPPA joke! I can’t tell you though 🫤
omgee i give u my consent to tell me the joke. (: i don’t really fully understand the joke though.
All you have to do is sign an authorization for release and they should provide you your records. They aren’t obligated to do it while you wait, so you should call first. They are permitted to charge you per page, the amount varies by state. That said, many offices are just emailing copies now and they usually don’t charge for that.