HF2070

Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to amend the provisions related to the costs associated with obtaining copies of health records in Minnesota. It aims to update the regulations on how much healthcare providers can charge patients or their representatives when they request copies of their medical records.

Main Provisions

• Free Records for Review: Patients cannot be charged a fee when requesting their records for the purpose of reviewing current medical care.
• Cost Structure: New fee limits are set for copying, retrieving, and reproducing patient health records.
  • Paper Copies: Providers can charge $1 per page plus a $10 retrieval fee.
  • Health Records Less Than 3 Years Old: A flat fee of $250 is permitted.
  • Health Records Older than 3 Years: $250 plus $0.40 per page.
  • X-rays: A $30 fee for retrieval plus $50 base fee and $25 per study.
  • Electronic Copies: A $20 total fee for retrieving records.
  • Caps on Charges: Maximum allowable charges for copies of records are detailed:
  • For 25 pages or less, a total of $30.
  • For up to 100 pages, $50.
  • Above 100 pages, $50 plus $0.20 per additional page.
  • A maximum of $15,000 for any request in extreme cases.
• Annual Adjustments: The maximum fees are subject to annual adjustments based on changes in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adjusted Fees: The bill introduces a structured fee system replacing the previous approach to charging for medical record copies.
• Special Provisions for Disability Appeals: No charges are applied when records are requested for appealing a denial of Social Security disability benefits, provided the patient is on public assistance, represented by an attorney, or involved in a civil legal services program.

Relevant Terms

health records, fee structure, paper copies, electronic copies, x-rays, Social Security disability benefits, public assistance, Consumer Price Index