Who "owns" your medical records?

chanel

Silver Member
Jun 8, 2009
12,098
3,202
98
People's Republic of NJ
Yesterday I tried to get a copy of my son's immunization record and was told they would not release them without a "well child" visit. I scheduled one, but I'm still ticked about it.

Is it legal to withhold that information?
I said to the secretary I was only interested in a receipt for what I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR!

Comments?
 
Ideally, you'd have total access to a personal health record electronically--a record that doesn't sit in a folder in some physician's office somewhere but rather one in which access (permissions) is controlled by you. That's still at least a few years away for most of us. Are your son's records paper?
 
Yesterday I tried to get a copy of my son's immunization record and was told they would not release them without a "well child" visit. I scheduled one, but I'm still ticked about it.

Is it legal to withhold that information?
I said to the secretary I was only interested in a receipt for what I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR!

Comments?

There are a sufficient number of con artists on the planet that it is understandable that a person is being asked to prove they are not one.
 
Last edited:
From HIPAA...

United States Department of Health and Human Services


The HIPAA Privacy Rule may limit how a covered entity (for example, a health plan or most health care providers) uses or discloses individually identifiable health information, but does not prevent individuals, themselves, from gathering medical information about their family members or from deciding to share this information with family members or others, including their health care providers. Thus, individuals are free to provide their doctors with a complete family medical history or communicate with their doctors about conditions that run in the family.


The Privacy Rule generally allows a parent to have access to the medical records about his or her child, as his or her minor child’s personal representative when such access is not inconsistent with State or other law.

There are three situations when the parent would not be the minor’s personal representative under the Privacy Rule. These exceptions are:
When the minor is the one who consents to care and the consent of the parent is not required under State or other applicable law;
1. When the minor obtains care at the direction of a court or a person appointed by the court;
3. When, and to the extent that, the parent agrees that the minor and the health care provider may have a confidential relationship.

The doctor's office did not actually deny you access, they just imposed their own stipulation to your access to them. You probably could have pressed the issue and gotten them without the well child visit.
 
Yesterday I tried to get a copy of my son's immunization record and was told they would not release them without a "well child" visit. I scheduled one, but I'm still ticked about it.

Is it legal to withhold that information?
I said to the secretary I was only interested in a receipt for what I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR!

Comments?

There are a sufficient number of con artists on the planet that it is understandable that a peson is being asked to prove they are not one.

There is obviously a history here where her relationship with the child has already been established, but simply providing identification clears this up.
 
Yesterday I tried to get a copy of my son's immunization record and was told they would not release them without a "well child" visit. I scheduled one, but I'm still ticked about it.

Is it legal to withhold that information?
I said to the secretary I was only interested in a receipt for what I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR!

Comments?

I hope you took the child in for a "well child" visit.
 
If the school had requested the records would the office release the records to them?

I think it's bull that they are making you come in for a well visit in order to get a copy of your son's imm. records. When they give you a copy of them make a copy for yourself to keep.
 
Personally, at that moment I would have told them I needed the records because I was no longer doing business with their facility; and that I'd be there in half an hour to pick them up for the entire family.
 
If the school had requested the records would the office release the records to them?

I think it's bull that they are making you come in for a well visit in order to get a copy of your son's imm. records. When they give you a copy of them make a copy for yourself to keep.

Patient's, or in the case of minors, a parent/legal guardian has to provide permission by signing an authorization to release specific medical records to specific parties.
 
Yesterday I tried to get a copy of my son's immunization record and was told they would not release them without a "well child" visit. I scheduled one, but I'm still ticked about it.

Is it legal to withhold that information?
I said to the secretary I was only interested in a receipt for what I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR!

Comments?
Make a complaint to the state board about him/her. Federal regulations require that those records be released to you upon request (if doing so does not violate the law). S/he cannot extort another visit/money from you. Upon request means just that - no conditions unless the law would be broken.

You will likely have to pay a copy fee - a reasonable copy fee - though.
 
You have a right to those records. Ask to speak to the supervisor of whomever you talked to, she's undoubtedly just confused. Or stupid. You get petty power mongers in dr offices all the time, they're a pain in the ass. Law offices HATE to deal with them, that should tell you something.
 
Yesterday I tried to get a copy of my son's immunization record and was told they would not release them without a "well child" visit. I scheduled one, but I'm still ticked about it.

Is it legal to withhold that information?
I said to the secretary I was only interested in a receipt for what I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR!

Comments?


I needed my dental records once and they charged me $25. I called my insurance company and they told me the dentist was within his rights. Other times with doctors, they never charge.
 
Thank you everyone. That all makes sense. I am calling the insurance co. on Monday. The office was pissed off because my son has been getting his annual sports physicals elsewhere. The woman said "get the records from them" My rebuttal was "He doesn't need a physical. He got the shots from you". I'm not sure if my ins. will even cover the visit because it hasn't been a year since his last physical. It's b.s. If the ins. co. says they won't pay, I will demand the records and bring a copy of your responses with me.

I love this board! You guys are great!
 
Thank you everyone. That all makes sense. I am calling the insurance co. on Monday. The office was pissed off because my son has been getting his annual sports physicals elsewhere. The woman said "get the records from them" My rebuttal was "He doesn't need a physical. He got the shots from you". I'm not sure if my ins. will even cover the visit because it hasn't been a year since his last physical. It's b.s. If the ins. co. says they won't pay, I will demand the records and bring a copy of your responses with me.

I love this board! You guys are great!
Actually, take a copy of HIPPA with you - a touch more credible than a bunch of posters. :lol:
 
You son isn't even the patient! ObamaCare, Medicare, Medicaid and/or the insurance company is the real patient that the doctors have to please
 
Yesterday I tried to get a copy of my son's immunization record and was told they would not release them without a "well child" visit. I scheduled one, but I'm still ticked about it.

Is it legal to withhold that information?
I said to the secretary I was only interested in a receipt for what I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR!

Comments?

ever hear of the word extortion?
 

Forum List

Back
Top