Am I Responsible for Responding to Medical Record Requests After I’ve Retired and Closed My Practice?
If you retired and closed your medical practice, congratulations are in order! You likely put in a long career in the medical field and now you are able to rest, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. However, just because you’ve closed your medical practice, doesn’t mean that you can completely cut all ties.
Did you know that you are responsible for maintaining medical records even after you retired and closed your medical practice?
Even after you have retired and closed your medical practice, you are still responsible for providing access to patient medical records. This access is guaranteed by HIPAA and you need to ensure that patients receive their medical records when they submit requests.
Did you know there is a set timeframe to respond to medical record requests?
You might not be aware of this, but you have 15 calendar days to respond to a written request for copies of medical records. You must provide these records even if the patient has an outstanding bill or uses a web portal instead of requesting the documents in writing.
Did you know there can be penalties for not providing medical records within the legal timeframe?
Failure to respond to a request for medical records within the 15 day timeframe can have serious consequences. If the patient files a complaint with the medical board, you will likely be contacted by the medical board as they prod you to provide the records. If you still fail to comply, you can be issued a citation, fined, or have action taken against your medical license.
Datafied can help ensure compliance with medical record request mandates!
Even after you have closed your medical practice you are still responsible for providing former patients access to their medical records. These records are critical to their health and if you fail to provide access, you can face fines, citations, and other actions by the Medical Board. Thankfully, Datafied is here to help. We offer Release of Information Provider services to ensure that your former patients have access to their medical records even after you have retired or closed your medical practice. To obtain a quote for our services or discuss how we can help serve you, give us a call today at 800-765-7510.
To learn more about the reliable and quality document management services that we offer, visit us on the web at Datafied.
