1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health records; decreasing the cost a provider may charge a patient 
1.3 	for copying records;amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 144.292, 
1.4 	subdivision 6.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 144.292, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subd. 6.Cost. (a) When a patient requests a copy of the patient's record for 
1.8 	purposes of reviewing current medical care, the provider must not charge a fee.
1.9 	(b) When a provider or its representative makes copies of patient records upon a 
1.10 	patient's request under this section, the provider or its representative may charge the 
1.11 	patient or the patient's representative no more than ~~75~~ ten cents per page, plus $10 for time 
1.12 	spent retrieving and copying the records, unless other law or a rule or contract provide for 
1.13 	a lower maximum charge. This limitation does not apply to x-rays. The provider may 
1.14 	charge a patient no more than the actual cost of reproducing x-rays, plus no more than 
1.15 	$10 for the time spent retrieving and copying the x-rays.
1.16 	~~(c) The respective maximum charges of 75 cents per page and $10 for time provided~~ 
1.17 	~~in this subdivision are in effect for calendar year 1992 and may be adjusted annually each~~ 
1.18 	~~calendar year as provided in this subdivision. The permissible maximum charges shall~~ 
1.19 	~~change each year by an amount that reflects the change, as compared to the previous year,~~ 
1.20 	~~in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers, Minneapolis-St. Paul (CPI-U),~~ 
1.21 	~~published by the Department of Labor.~~
1.22 	~~(d)~~ (c) A provider or its representative may charge the $10 retrieval fee, but must not 
1.23 	charge a per page fee to provide copies of records requested by a patient or the patient's 
1.24 	authorized representative if the request for copies of records is for purposes of appealing 
2.1 	a denial of Social Security disability income or Social Security disability benefits under 
2.2 	title II or title XVI of the Social Security Act; except that no fee shall be charged to a 
2.3 	person who is receiving public assistance, who is represented by an attorney on behalf of 
2.4 	a civil legal services program or a volunteer attorney program based on indigency. For 
2.5 	the purpose of further appeals, a patient may receive no more than two medical record 
2.6 	updates without charge, but only for medical record information previously not provided. 
2.7 	For purposes of this paragraph, a patient's authorized representative does not include units 
2.8 	of state government engaged in the adjudication of Social Security disability claims.