Your Medical Records

November 13, 2009 - 12:00am

When your doctor closes his or her practice, what happens to your medical records?

That's the question asked by a WTOP listener who received only two weeks notice that her physician of 12 years had sold his practice and would no longer be her doctor.

She decided she did not want to use the person who bought the practice and was concerned about her medical records. She contacted the office and was told that she could get copies, but that she would have to pay for them. Generally, state laws determine whether you have to pay for copies of your medical records. In addition, each jurisdiction establishes how long the office must keep the records and gives you a host of other rights.

For example, in Maryland you may be charged 61 cents for each page. In Virginia, the law specifies that your records must be kept at least 5 years.

For D.C. laws, click here.

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