HF 2281

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/15/2012 01:57pm

A bill for an act
relating to health records; decreasing the cost a provider may charge a patient
for copying records; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 144.292,
subdivision 6.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 144.292, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Cost.

(a) When a patient requests a copy of the patient's record for
purposes of reviewing current medical care, the provider must not charge a fee.

(b) When a provider or its representative makes copies of patient records upon a
patient's request under this section, the provider or its representative may charge the
patient or the patient's representative no more than deleted text begin 75 deleted text end new text begin ten new text end cents per page, plus $10 for time
spent retrieving and copying the records, unless other law or a rule or contract provide for
a lower maximum charge. This limitation does not apply to x-rays. The provider may
charge a patient no more than the actual cost of reproducing x-rays, plus no more than
$10 for the time spent retrieving and copying the x-rays.

(c) The respective maximum charges of deleted text begin 75 deleted text end new text begin ten new text end cents per page and $10 for time
provided in this subdivision are in effect for calendar year 1992 and may be adjusted
annually each calendar year as provided in this subdivision. The permissible maximum
charges shall change each year by an amount that reflects the change, as compared to the
previous year, in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers, Minneapolis-St.
Paul (CPI-U), published by the Department of Labor.

(d) A provider or its representative must not charge a fee to provide copies of records
requested by a patient or the patient's authorized representative if the request for copies
of records is for purposes of appealing a denial of Social Security disability income or
Social Security disability benefits under title II or title XVI of the Social Security Act. For
the purpose of further appeals, a patient may receive no more than two medical record
updates without charge, but only for medical record information previously not provided.
For purposes of this paragraph, a patient's authorized representative does not include units
of state government engaged in the adjudication of Social Security disability claims.