Bert,
Pooh on the angry patient calls....they are leaving you anyway. In Indiana we have strict laws which cover our abilities to charge for copies and I do charge. We count the numbers of pages, call the patient and tell them what it will cost us to copy and then do not copy until we are paid. Many times patients will then tell us to only copy the last 1-2 years. It is a tremendous consumption of staff time. If they say, "Can't you just fax it over there?" we tell them "No". It is virtually just as time consuming to fax from the EMR as it is to copy from paper so I still expect to be compensated. As far as attorney letters, check the state statue number and give it to them if they complain. My bet is, they are well-aware of the law but hope you are not. I have had lawyers from a neighboring state whose statute says the first copy is free tell me they expect a free copy of the records. I tell them I do not practice in their state and if they want the records, they will pay for the copy.
Leslie
