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Your medical records represent the sum total of your medical history.
They reveal every illness you’ve ever suffered, every medical
test your doctor ordered and every drug a medical professional ever
prescribed for you. With such valuable information at stake, patients
have both a right and a responsibility to become the keeper of their
own medical records.
Unfortunately, many patients believe their medical records are
the doctor’s property and that patients have no rights to
them. But in Texas, the Medical Practice Act allows you to obtain
a copy of your medical records or to instruct that a copy be given
to another individual or doctor. A doctor may keep the originals,
but is required under Texas law to release copies when you submit
a written request.
To obtain your records, you must be very explicit about which
records you want. You must also give a reason for the release and
identify the person who will receive the records. It’s also
a good idea to send the request via certified mail or to deliver
it by hand to ensure that your doctor receives it.
Within 30 days, your doctor must provide the copies, but is allowed
to charge for them. Fees should not exceed $25 for the first 20
pages and $.15/per page thereafter. You may also have to pay for
delivery costs.
Many patients also mistakenly assume that they don’t need
to worry about getting their medical records right now, instead
thinking they can do so in the future, whenever the need arises.
That’s not always the case. Most doctors generally keep a
patient’s chart for about 10 years after a visit. While some
smaller practices will keep patient files until the office closes
or a patient dies, other larger practices have standard file purging
procedures in place.
To be on the safe side, it’s best to get copies of your
records sooner rather than later. Also, check with your current
and previous health care providers about their office policies
for maintaining medical records. Commitment to Personal Injury Clients
Personal Injury lawyer Jeffrey H. Rasansky has one mission: to
fight for the rights of personal injury victims, people just like
you. Jeff has successfully represented victims of: personal injury,
nursing home abuse, nursing home neglect, nursing home negligence,
medical malpractice, car wrecks and product liability.
Recently, Mr. Rasansky negotiated a settlement
of more than $10 million on behalf of an infant who was catastrophically
impaired while under medical care. Jeff also successfully represented
two plaintiffs in recent jury trials, one of which resulted in
a verdict
of more than $1 million. Throughout his career, Jeff has successfully
represented clients in cases involving: personal
injury, medical
malpractice, nursing
home abuse, nursing
home neglect, brain
damaged baby, product
liability and defective products, vehicle
accidents like car
wrecks, truck and suv's, motorcycle
accidents and pedestrian
accidents, as well as occupational injuries such as construction
accidents.
Jeff Rasansky is licensed to practice before all state courts in Texas,
the United States District Courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts
of Texas and the Fifth United States Circuit Court of Appeals.
Click here
to contact The Rasansky Law Firm. |
