Got a great HIPPA question posed to me yesterday and before I answered I wanted to research my answer before making it public. The answer to the question "do you HAVE to have a release of medical information to obtain medical records on a patient. The answer is NO not in every case. A referring physician or health care provider can provide you with "THE MINIMAL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS" to evaluate and or begin care as long as the patient or patients legal guardian are actively seeking care from you as a medical provider. What the signed medical release does is protects the person providing that documentation and provides written proof the patient consents to transfer of information, it serves no other purpose legally.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 17:10:17 +0000