You Have a Right to Your Medical Record. Here’s How to Request Them.
Your medical records – whether they are all with your family doctor or scattered across different clinics throughout the city – are available to you. Having a copy can help you save money , improve service, or simply satisfy your curiosity.
Since most doctors and hospitals have moved away from paper documents, obtaining a copy has become even easier: under US law, if they store it electronically, they must electronically give it to you .
Many providers offer websites or apps where you can access your recordings as soon as they become available. Otherwise, or if you have trouble getting complete information, a tool called Vocatus can help you submit a written request.
Some service providers are unaware of the law and may incorrectly tell you that you need to pay your bill in full before you can request data, or that they cannot provide you with your records without additional red tape. Before you give up, see the troubleshooting page in the Getting My Health Data section for instructions on how to assert your rights.
How to request | Get my health data
Photo by Ted Eitan .
Vitals is a new blog from Lifehacker dedicated to health and fitness. Follow us on Twitter here .