Can I get a copy of my medical records?
Yes, Connecticut law gives patients or their authorized representatives the right to get a copy of their medical records. You also have a right to request amendments to your protected health information or PHI.
Hospitals in Connecticut provide instructions on their websites for requesting records from their Health Information Management or Medical Records office. You can also call your hospital or doctor’s office to get specific instructions for how to request a copy of your records. Expect to be asked to provide a written request for the specific information you would like to receive. You may also need to complete authorization or release forms.
Your healthcare provider may offer options for you to pick up your copy in person (bring valid identification!); they may offer to mail records to you; or you may be offered an electronic option through a patient portal, or machine readable file. Depending on the purpose of the request, there may be a fee, no more than $0.65 per page, associated with the copy costs. Records must be supplied within 30 days of the written request.
Your medical records contain bills, X-rays, lab reports, prescriptions, and other details about your health. It’s important to know that physicians, hospitals and other providers are not required to keep medical records indefinitely. It may not be possible to get copies of records more than seven years after the last treatment date or three years after a patient’s death. Some records, including lab reports and X-Ray films, do not have to be retained as long.