Who Owns a Chiropractic Patient’s Record?
The question about who actually owns the chiropractic patient’s x-rays and patient records comes up often when a patient decides to seek care elsewhere. Some doctors think the best way to insure payment for services rendered, if the patient has a balance due, is to not release the x-ray films or chiropractic patient records to another office. That choice is not the wisest course of action. You must abide by HIPAA regulations.
What Do I Have to Do with My Chiropractic Documentation to Be HIPAA Compliant?
According to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the physician owns the chiropractic patient’s medical record and is required to securely maintain the chiropractic patient record for a set period of time. Keep in mind, there are slight variances according to state law with respect to minors, worker’s compensation, and psychiatric patient records. However, HIPAA grants five specific entitlements to the patient that relate to the information in the patient records. The right to:
- Know how Protected Health Information (PHI) is handled in your practice
- Request their confidential information
- Review and/or have a copy their confidential information
- Request inaccuracies in their record be corrected
- Know who has accessed their medical record
The doctor is not required to release the original record; however, the patient has the right to a copy of their record. It is appropriate to charge reasonable fees to cover the cost of copying and postage if it is needed.
Back to: Chiropractic Documentation Basics
Need more help? Purchase a Solution Consultation!
I wanted to thank you for your work with me on the HIPAA program. It is a huge undertaking and I can say with absolute certainty that I could not have done it without your help and all the work that you did behind the scene. I would tell anyone thinking about trying to do it on their own, not to waste their time and money and just sign up for this assistance.