S1624 — An Act relative to personal health information portability and accessibility

Summary

An Act relative to personal health information portability and accessibility

Bill Text

• Full text Current

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill adds definitions for various health care-related terms and modifies how medical records are stored and charged for, particularly limiting charges to patients and adjusting fees for third parties.

• Chapter 111, Section 1

  “Hospital/Clinic” shall mean any health care provider as defined in this section, including, but not limited to: Hospitals, Hospital systems, primary care physicians and internists, urgent and/or acute care facilities, medical doctors of any specialty, psychiatric and/or psychological doctors, licensed social workers or other mental health professionals and therapists, dentists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, speech therapists, paramedics and EMTs, or any other like or similar health care provider or office.

  This adds a comprehensive definition of what constitutes a hospital or clinic.

• Chapter 111, Section 1

  “Patient,” an individual who is receiving/has received care from a health care provider as defined in this section and any legal guardian, legal representative, administrator/executor of the patient’s estate, attorney, power of attorney, health care proxy, guardian ad litem, conservator, medical advocate, or other court appointed representative.

  This establishes a detailed definition of a patient including representatives.

• Chapter 111, Section 1

  “Authorized Third Party,” any individual, organization and/or other legal entity who are not the patient as defined above but are contracted or with the patient or authorized in writing by the patient.

  This defines who an authorized third party is in relation to patient care.

• Chapter 111, Section 1

  “Electronic Digital Media Storage Device,” any disk, flash drive, thumb drive, or other similar electronic file storage.

  This provides a definition for electronic digital media storage devices.

• Chapter 111, Section 70

  These records may be handwritten, printed, typed or in electronic digital media or converted to electronic digital media as originally created by such hospital or clinic, by the photographic or microphotographic process, or any combination thereof → These records must be kept by secure, electronic digital media or converted to electronic digital media as originally created by such hospital or clinic, by the photographic or microphotographic process, or any combination thereof.

  This change mandates that medical records be kept in secure electronic formats.

• Chapter 111, Section 70

  which for the purposes of this section shall mean a base charge of not more than $15 for each request for a hospital or clinic medical records; a per page charge of not more than $.50 for each of the first 100 pages of a hospital or clinic medical records that is copied per request; and not more than $.25 per page for each page in excess of 100 pages of a hospital or clinic medical record that is copied per request, except that → As the records must be kept by secure, electronic digital media, or converted to electronic digital media as originally created, the hospital or clinic is not permitted to charge the patient as defined in section 1 of this chapter by the page for the production of these records. Rather, a “reasonable fee” shall mean a base administrative fee of not more than $15 for each request for a hospital or clinic medical records, plus the reasonable cost of the Electronic Digital Media Storage Device used to save the records and provide same to the patient, not to exceed $10 per device. In the event that the records are requested by an authorized third party, the hospital or clinic may charge a base administrative fee of not more than $50, plus the reasonable cost of the Electronic Digital Media Storage Device used to save the records and provide same to the third party, not to exceed $10 per device.

  This revises the fee structure for medical records, eliminating per-page charges for patients and specifying different fees for authorized third parties.

Sponsors

• Bruce E. Tarr · Primary

Subjects