2017 update on maximum charges for copies of medical records in Illinois

April 4, 2017

Alert

In Illinois, health care facilities and practitioners are permitted to charge for copies of medical records when the patient, other health care practitioners, and/or attorneys request such records. The purpose of the charge is to allow the producing facility or practitioner to be reimbursed for all reasonable costs associated with copying the medical records, including the costs of independent copy service companies, as applicable. The Illinois Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/8-2001) initially set the maximum fees that can be charged. However, the actual dollar amount is adjusted annually by the Comptroller for the State of Illinois.

The 2017 maximum fees that can be charged for copying medical records are as follows:

Paper: $1.02 per page for the first 25 pages, $0.68 per page for pages 26 to 50, and $0.34 per page for each page in excess of 50.
Microfiche or microfilm: $1.71 per page for copies made from microfiche or microfilm (records retrieved from digital formats do not qualify as microfiche or microfilm).
Electronic records: The charge for copies made from electronic records cannot exceed 50 percent of the per page charge for paper copies. This charge includes the cost of each CD-ROM, DVD, or other storage media. Any records already maintained in an electronic or digital format must be provided in an electronic format if so requested unless the records system prohibits the facility or practitioner from doing so and the requester is informed in writing of such limitation.
X-rays and pictures: The facility or practitioner can charge for the reasonable cost of duplication of any record material or information that cannot be routinely copied or duplicated on a standard copy machine, such as x-rays films or pictures.

Additionally, health care facilities and practitioners are permitted to charge $27.33 for processing the request and the actual postage or shipping cost.

If you have any questions about charges for copies of medical records in Illinois or any other state such as Michigan, Ohio, or Florida, please contact the attorneys below.

Over the past 24 months, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights has brought notable enforcement efforts against several non-profit covered entities and business associates, resulting in instances of six and seven-figure penalties against providers across the county for incidents involving breaches of protected health information.

A new amendment to New York state law, which would have required all healthcare providers to obtain separate consents from patients for treatment and payment is on hold until further guidance is released, according to the New York Department of Health.

On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule 2025 final rule, which establishes new advanced primary care management billing codes that will expand opportunities for physician practices, federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics and other health care providers to get paid for services provided by clinical staff under the direction of a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant beginning January 1, 2025.

2017 update on maximum charges for copies of medical records in Illinois

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