New South Carolina Law Caps Price on Medical Records

In late June, Governor Nikki Haley signed into law a bill limiting the amount hospitals and doctors are allowed to charge patients for medical records. The law was prompted by stories of patients being severely overcharged for copies of their medical records, including one case in which Medical University charged a woman nearly $4,000 for a CD copy of her father’s medical records.

According to a recent article in The Post and Courier, although the woman received her father’s record in an electronic CD, the hospital charged her per-page fees based on a rates from a 1992 state law. The rates were set at a time when patient medical records were strictly provided on paper.

State lawmakers passed the new law to ensure that patients and families are treated fairly and not forced to pay excessive fees. Here are a few important facts about the new law:

• Health care providers cannot charge more than $150 for copies of electronic medical records, no matter how many pages it contains or how many visits a patient made.
• Health care providers cannot charge more than $200 for a paper copy per hospital admission.

The new law is welcomed by many in the state, including our legal team at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers. As personal injury attorneys, we help victims and families after they’ve suffered harm. The new law will now make it more affordable to victims and families to obtain their medical records after they’ve been harmed during car wrecks and other preventable accidents. It will also help individuals who need their medical records when applying for Social Security disability.

For more information about your rights after an injury that was not your fault, or for questions about workers’ compensation or Social Security disability, call 888-612-7001 to request a free consultation! Our firm has office locationsthroughout the state to better serve you!