Bill > HB1226

This bill modifies existing law regarding the provision of medical records by healthcare providers in Missouri, addressing both the fees and circumstances under which medical records can be obtained. The bill maintains the existing provisions allowing patients or their legal representatives to request copies of medical records, with providers permitted to charge fees for search, retrieval, and copying. The bill introduces a new provision (Section 8) that specifically prohibits healthcare providers from charging fees for medical or mental health records when they are requested to support applications for certain types of benefits, including workers' compensation (Chapter 287), Social Security Disability (42 U.S.C. 401), Supplemental Security Income (42 U.S.C. 1382), Medicare (42 U.S.C. 1395), and various veterans' benefits programs. For these specific benefit-related record requests, providers must provide the records in the most cost-effective manner, with electronically provided records required to be in a universally accessible format. The bill also continues existing provisions about fee adjustments based on medical care inflation and maintains protections for healthcare providers who release records in good faith, including guidelines for releasing records of deceased patients to appropriate representatives.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1226&year=2025&code=R