I saw a back surgeon in 2015. Diagnosed with something causing me a lot of pain. I lost the sheet of paper with the medical terminology explaining everything. I called up to see if they could send me another one. They cannot give it to me. It will cost $50 for a copy.
Is this too much?
Because it's a medical issue, I don't feel it's ethical not to give it to me. Just by email even. But it cost to have administration. I'd pay $25 for any copy.
What is your opinion on this?
Thanks.
Are you delusional or taking the p!ss? Honestly, how much work is this really? I would guess 5-10 minutes max to open an app to search the database and then send an email. $50 for that is just extortion.
2015 is a while back. High chance it’s a physical copy stored offsite.
It's not about how much time it takes to open up an app to search a database, it's the amount of money that you have to pay in licensing fees, a database provider, hardware onsite to store the data securely, a backup onsite, a cloud backup, possibly an offsite physical backup…etc.
Data management and security is complex and expensive. If this was easy, OP would have done their own data management and would not have lost data requiring them to go back to the clinic again.
Some hospitals dont have digital medical records
It's been archived manually I suspect.
An employee needs to go the archives, find the documents, copy them and send them to you.
This seems about fair.
The Data maybe stored Digitally, but archived after a time frame. OP probably doesn't realise that older data is archived, and stored on a Backup server, so it doesn't slow down the current system that is in place.
Ridiculous cost. Given the document will likely be stored electronically then it would be no more than a 10 minute task to fill your request.
Besides, I though that legally the documents they hold belong to you. For example, it is not uncommon to request ones medical file to be transferred to a new doctor when necessary. This is normally done at no cost.
This is normally done at no cost
Apparently pretty common to charge from what I’ve seen online other than maybe a really basic summary
Legally, medical records belong to the patient. However, the practice is allowed to charge "reasonable" admin costs to send them. Most just don't as it is a click away. If 2015, there is a chance that 1. It has been archived (7 year history only) or 2. It is paper form
Legally, medical records belong to the patient
No, it's owned by the creator of the record. That's fairly clear cut. There's actually a fairly standardised fee for this. $60+GST for electronically-held medical records to be reproduced & sent in NSW, according to the schedule in front of me.
2015 could have easily been a paper file and most large practices use an archiving service to store this off site after a certain date. It could well be more difficult. Many doctors might what to quickly review the chart again to refresh their memory before sending on information i.e. if something needs further explanation.
2022 and some hospitals are still using paper files!
Is this too much?
Depends how much you want it.
I'd pay $25 for any copy.
You've just illustrated how different people place different values on their time.
The short answer is, if you want it, pay the $50. If you don't want to pay the $50, you're SOOL.
A copy should have been sent to your referring Doctor.
Try asking them for a copy.
They might charge $75?
Part administration fee (they have to pay the staff still)
Part dissuade fee (they can’t price it at cost as customers will ask for constantly and staff won’t get any work done.)
This. When working at a law firm, a client would ring me and get a copy of a regularly used document all the time instead of filing and keeping her own electronic copy. They will use you as their filing system. My GP automatically gives me a copy of every report when I follow up with him on the results. Then it’s up to me to file it. Also working in law firms, all surgeries charge us for copies of medical records for car accident injuries, that we pass onto the client, that usually total in the hundreds of dollars.
Do you really need the piece of paper?
You could try contacting the hospital where you had your surgery and make a written request to see your medical records. Just state your name, address and how you want to access the information eg email, hard copy or physically inspect.
Just ask for a copy of your operation report, that would state the exact procedure you underwent if that's all you need.
The hospital may charge you as well but they are not allowed to charge an 'excessive' amount.
If the hospital had electronic medical records in 2015, then it wont cost much to email you the report.
If you were in a private hospital then it will most likely be be paper based and they will charge more to allocate staff to manually find the archived records.
The other option is your GP, when you are discharged from hospital, your GP is usually sent a discharge summary outlining your treatment.
Hospitals also charge if you want to request and old medical record when you’re not actually actively receiving treatment. You’re correct that whoever the GP was seeing at the time may have a copy. Usually you’d need to make an appointment with the GP to discuss it.
So how many hours do you think it will take them to:
1) Create an invoice
2) Send you the invoice
3) Process invoice payment (there are CC fees they pay if you pay via CC)
4) lookup your records
5) Find the right doc
6) Create an email so the doc can be attached to it
7) Attach the doc to the email
Say 1 hour or work all up.
$50 is cheap. If you're unemployed then tell them $50 would cause financial hardship and you can show them your healthcare card to prove it.
This is why I like My Health Record. I request all tests and letters to be uploaded there for easy access. Plus I undergo treatment in multiple states so it means easy access for doctors.
Only good if you actually get the records on there.
We deal with lots of assorted medical practices and have less than 50% success rate of the data being available on MHR. Even then sometimes it's just metadata (doctor, access date) and not the actual results from a test or X-ray which would actually be useful.
It would be great if the doctors, specialists, pathologists and radiographers put everything on my health record. Only about half my stuff gets there. If you move GPs they charge per report to forward a copy.
Recently like many GPs they have ceased bulk billing and are charging a copayment of $38. So I have changed GPs. I guess much of that information needs updating. However, getting a new report is cheaper for me in most cases than paying my old GP for the old report.
I think that GPs that fail to upload reports to my health should not be able to charge for paper records There is a loophole that is costing us tax payers billions in a system that doesn't really have that much spare capacity.
Healius, Sonic Pathology and I-MED already do. That covers the largest pathology and imaging providers.
How did you lose the original ?
Same way we lose our patience.
An internet troll steals it.
Same way we lose our patience.
My doctor has never lost any patience.
Maybe change doctors.
But then my doctor WILL have lost a patient!
I'd rather not create another paradocs
Depending on the nature of the document, I wouldn't be too surprised if they have to send it by mail or fax. I found that to be not uncommon at least.
Some of the practices cannot send or receive medical info with personal info via email. Something about security and some kind of regulation.
That sound about standard. The admin will have to retrieve it. If it’s a paper record it may well have been archived, potentially offsite. The specialist might want to review it before giving it to you.
I’d check if the GP who referred has a copy of the letter. It would be worth talking to the GP about the issue as well as depending on what it is, your health status could have changed since 2015.
If with Medibank Private, just wait for a Hacker to contact you.
Tell them you will pay $25 by BTC, half up front, half after you get the document.
(I'm glad we talked). lol
My daughter has been told $550 to send her medical records to new GP
She is going to see her local MP about it
They already got paid. It’s an electronic record. It’s Highway robbery
$550 you can qualify to become a Doctor and get a Certificate*
*(Online and may not be recognised).
Costs are supposed to be reasonable, photocopy/courier.
Maybe they meant $55?
Or even $5.50
Standard price is around $20. That's crazy
Anything that old at our practice is stored offsite. We have to ask that company to locate the file and deliver it to us to be able to get it to you and we have to pay them. So costs are not unreasonable even if you think it is high. Some practices are still not all electronic, we are slowly moving over starting from next year!
If this is a glossary of terms then yes unreasonable, I’d search the terms in the internet
If this is a report created by the specialist, have you asked the referring GP for a copy first?
Did you ask what the cost actually covers? That answer would deem whether reasonable or not.
Good luck
Is it a medical record request, or are you asking just for the diagnosis/referral letter?
You’ll find all medical providers charge for anything remotely looking like a “legal access” request. ALSO, 7 years is the second issue, that’s a long time ago. Perhaps my health record being inline now will alleviate these issues.
It cost me hundreds and hundreds (probably thousands)to get my wife’s full medical records so we could travel with her history on a USB, but well worth it given how complex a patient she was.
This is why doctors do NOT support My Health record and this why YOU should!
In addition to making $$$ for nothing by charging ridiculous "admin" fees for things like this it also stops their "customers" going elsewhere since they have all your records and make it difficult and costly to get them… it's a compulsory"brand loyalty scheme"!
Remember you have ALREADY paid HANDSOMELY for your records to be filled so you shouldn't have to again… does your bank charge you $50 for a copy of your statement!
So don't believe all the security bullshit touted by the AMA about the security of your My Health record as it's far MORE secure than your online banking (I'm an IT Infrastructure Architect with 30yrs experience in Data centre design). If you do believe any of it I suggest you lobby the government to close down all forms of online banking due to "security risk".
Trying to scare people into opting out of My Health record is just a money grab and enforced brand loyalty scheme by Doctors.
Oh and do you know that to simply "click" a button to upload your GP visit to My Health record Medicare pays them extra for it!
Even so I challenge you to get your GP to do it… I've been to multiple that are on the list saying they do it but time and time again I check my record and it hasn't been done. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they've charged Medicare for doing it. They'll say things like "the system was down" or "it's up to each doctor and I can't make him do it".
The ONLY time I got it done was when their credit card system was down so I couldn't pay my bill… They rang me for payment and I said sure once my visit has been uploaded. Several times they rang back saying it had been done however when I checked it had NOT. They ultimately gave in and did it ONLY because I wouldn't pay till they did!
Unfortunately people "blindly trust" doctors and the medical system and while historically that was ok, today your blind trust is being used to fool you plus get you to support their government lobbying when they talk about "patient care"… don't be fooled the medical industry is corrupt to the bone.
If they cared about their patients getting better outcomes they would whole heartedly embrace My Health record so patients could easily and quickly get their medical records and history then they could easily go to ANY doctor!
Your GP will have a copy as specialists have to send to referring dr
BTW when getting a blood test ALWAYS get the GP to tick the absolutely MICROSCOPICALLY small tickbox (on the request form) that says "Patient copy" (or just do it yourself as they always "forget") as that way you will ALSO receive a copy of your results rather than allowing the GP to needlessly drain the Medicare fund and line their pockets just to get you back to "read them to you"!
You'll be pleasantly surprised just how EASY they are to interpret since they have the normal ranges for all tests and often state suggested causes for any out of range results.
And don't be "worried" into booking an uneeded appointment with your GP when the receptionist calls and says "The doctor would like to discuss your results with you." I've had this call many times and just say "Ring me back if he sees anything of concern."
Then wait a day or two for your copy to arrive (yes they've hijacked the system to delay YOUR copy so they can make that "worrying" call) then read your copy and ONLY if you see something you don't understand or are concerned about book a followup appointment.
BTW I've found that's all they do anyway… they read the results AND interpretation off their screen but "pretend" THEY are coming up with the interpretation!
If there IS something you're concerned about I suggest your time is often better spent Googling it as I've often found that if you do go for a followup up they haven't got a clue!
Real life example of mine is where my GP kept sending me for multiple blood tests due to results then recommended I see a kidney specialist until I Googled the results and found the high level of creatinine was purely due to me doing workouts the day before my tests!
Medicare was needlessly drained for MANY uneeded tests and GP visits for what should have been basic medical knowledge… I'm sure this happens alot and some GPs do it knowingly to make easy money!
no its not too much.
fair amount for them to retrieve and send you.