Medical Records Cannot be Held “Hostage” for Unpaid Medical Bills

AUTHOR:

Ann W. Latner, JD

A patient requested a copy of his medical records from his podiatrist's office in September 2018. After attempting numerous times to get a copy of the medical records to resubmit to his insurance company, the patient still did not receive the records and was told that he would need to pay to receive the documents. The patient filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Was the podiatrist at fault?

(Answer and discussion on the next page)