How to Get Your Own HIPAA Report

Obtaining your own HIPAA report was made easier when the federal government legislated the The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Now most anyone can get copies of their medical records right from their physicians and other medical facilities where they have been patients. Records can be requested as a summary or your full medical file information can be either mailed to your home or you may gain access to inspect them on site.

Things You'll Need

• Dates of medical services
• Places of medical services

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Instructions

Gathering Information

• 1

  Organize all of your medical procedures information such as names of doctors, places and phone numbers where you were a patient. Although HIPAA does not require that you request your medical records with a written query, it is a good idea. Most physicians and medical facilities will require that you put your request in writing so that they have a record of your petition in their files. Keeping copies of all of your requests is important in case originals are lost.

• 2

  Visit each physician and medical facility in person to obtain medical records. Your request will be less likely to be lost, or forgotten if office staff see you in person. If you cannot visit each facility, a letter suffices. Provide the dates of each procedure or at least a close approximation, with your birth date, social security number, the kind of procedure performed and your signature.

• 3

  Receive your medical report. HIPAA law states that once your request is received by the facility, they have 30 days to comply. You should receive your medical records within that time frame. If there is a delay, call and make a complaint. Instructions about how to do this must be included in the rights and responsibilities sheet given to you at the time of request.

• 4

  Pay copying and postage fees. Copying and postage fees apply when requesting medical records. HIPAA states that physicians and medical facilities may charge a fee for copying and postage that will be mutually agreed upon by patient and provider before records are released. Medical offices are not allowed to charge you for time spent to research and prepare your file for mailing or setting up a date and time to go to the office to view records.

• 5

  Make a note that some medical records are not viewable by the patient under specific circumstances. Some of these circumstances include mental health files that were deemed dangerous to the patient's welfare if viewed, or if release of medical information could result in endangering the welfare of someone else who provided data.