Home Forums Discussions Coding and Billing Copy Charges

I'm curious as to how much you charge for record requests. I found this link that shows what you can legally charge by state. Apparently no such law in AK.
http://www.lamblawoffice.com/medical-records-copying-charges.html

I think it is 25$ for 1st set of pages and a certain amount for each page after. I have to get the specific numbers.

Basically, it is anywhere from $5 to $25 for the first page and around 25 cents per page after. It varies state to state.

In Maine, it is $10 for the first page and 25 cents thereafter. We routinely charge for transfer of records, but because patients generally have never been charged, they tend to call, complain, threaten to sue, whatever. I just offer to give them the names of a few lawyers, because it is right in the state's statutes.

The only thing is you have to be a bit more careful going through the records, as there are bound to be duplicates, blank sheets, etc. Plus, do you count fax cover sheets? I guess you could call it all part of the record. We tend to remove them. Then there are the pages with insurance cards that have been copied.

Another way is to do the cost, then subtract 20% and document it. This way, in the very unlikely event they come back and demand 25 cents back due to a blank page, you are already covered. Sounds strange, but it has happened.

We, of course, never charge for records to specialists, and we also give one copy to parents at no charge.

Medicaid patients, of course, cannot be charged.

While I am at it, another little known fact (well maybe not little known on here) is you don't need a records release to give the records to the patient or to mail them. But, it doesn't hurt.

I have to admit there is a little passive-aggressiveness for me. But, people forget, it isn't just the copying and faxing or mailing a CD at the end, you also spent time and paper when they first checked in

I need clarification- When I send a patient's records with multiple encounters and other data pages generated by AC and copied to CD: What would you consider to be the actual cost of copying? Would you use the number of "electronic pages" generated or the megabytes of data or the time it takes me to generate the CD or some other way to calculate the "actual cost of copying"

I feel like Maynard G Krebs-"like Wow" it is really fast for me to copy records using AC compared to the "old days" and the labor cost is way low. Thanks

It depends on the state, but most states, if not all, allow you to charge for the number of pages. Definitely not the megabytes. And, likely not your time as there is no real way to quantify it. In fact, you hit the nail on the head. If it is a 300 page record, you can burn that to a CD as quickly as a 10 page.

Here in Maine it is $10.00 for the first page and 35 cents per page after that unless it is Medicaid, and then it is free. God forbid, they pay for anything.

The only downside to charging is I feel somewhat obliged to go through the record and make sure there are no duplicates, etc. I tend to delete cover pages (although I guess one could say that is part of the record).

One thing when the patient complains (remember most patients do not even think such a thing exists) is to tell them that they are paying for the back end, what you are doing when you get the record together and the front end, when your staff gathered all the demographics and put them in the chart.

This is state-specific issue, and I while don't know, I suspect that most have not updated their statutes to account for electronic copies. Of course the law specifies a maximum: not what (or whom) you must charge. The lack of specifications for electronic records leaves you free to use the paper maximum (perhaps tempered by your sense of fairness). In Maryland, the max is a $22.88 fee plus 76 cents (!) per page.

I would disagree a bit. I doubt many states will change the charges due to electronic means. My receptionist complains all the time at how long it takes to put together a CD or PDF. It really is faster to just pull it up and choose a printer.

A Rheam of paper at Staples is $7.49. So, my guess is your paper cost would be no more than $2.50.

Leave it to Maryland to come up with $22.88. There must be some reason for that. But, it is much higher than here where it is $10 and 35 cents per page.

I have had at least five patients threaten to get a lawyer. Then I just tell them it is $10 plus 35 cents a page plus your attorney's fees. Much easier to just Google the statute online.

I don't think we are disagreeing.

Maryland's statute included an inflation adjustment so the rate increases annually, leading to some odd (and large) numbers.