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Do I have to pay for a copy of my medical records?

Most of the time, yes.  Some doctors and hospitals will provide you with free copies, but most of the time, you will be charged.  Federal law says the cost should be “reasonable” but does not say exactly what that cost should be.

Regarding records from doctors, in Texas, the fees for physician records are set by the Texas Board of Medical Examiners.

Fees set forth by Texas Statutory Law as of September 1, 2018 can be found at:

https://dshs.texas.gov/facilities/pdf/MedRecFee.doc

Rosen & Spears generally suggest that patients or their representatives request records in electronic format, especially from hospitals, as this will usually result in a lesser charge.

Some hospitals may have records available to patients online via patient portals.

If there are only a few pages of records, such as a single doctor’s visit or a medication chart, it may make sense to get them in standard paper form.

The charges may be slightly different if the records are stored on microfiche.

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