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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 958
January Session, 2023
AN ACT CONCERNING THE TIMELY TRANSFER OF MEDICAL
RECORDS BETWEEN HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS AND THE FEE
CHARGED FOR COPIES OF MEDICAL RECORDS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Each institution, as defined 1
in section 19a-490 of the general statutes, shall, upon receipt of a 2
patient-approved medical records request, transfer such patient's 3
medical records to another institution (1) immediately, if such request 4
is urgent, or (2) not later than two business days after such request is 5
made, if such request is not urgent. 6
Sec. 2. Subsection (d) of section 20-7c of the general statutes is 7
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 8
passage): 9
(d) Upon a written request of a patient, a patient's attorney or 10
authorized representative, or pursuant to a written authorization, a 11
provider, except as provided in section 4-194, shall furnish to the 12
person making such request a copy of the patient's health record, 13
including but not limited to, bills, x-rays and copies of laboratory 14
reports, contact lens specifications based on examinations and final 15
contact lens fittings given within the preceding three months or such 16
longer period of time as determined by the provider but no longer 17
than six months, records of prescriptions and other technical 18 Substitute Bill No. 958
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information used in assessing the patient's health condition. No 19
provider shall refuse to return to a patient original records or copies of 20
records that the patient has brought to the provider from another 21
provider. When returning records to a patient, a provider may retain 22
copies of such records for the provider's file, provided such provider 23
does not charge the patient for the costs incurred in copying such 24
records. No provider or other party in possession or control of a 25
patient's medical records shall charge a patient, patient's attorney or 26
patient's authorized representative more than (1) sixty-five cents per 27
page, or (2) any patient rate amount or reasonable cost-based fee 28
promulgated under any federal or state law or regulation of 29
Connecticut state agencies or administrative guidance regarding such 30
law or regulation, whichever is less, regardless of whether such patient 31
rate amount or reasonable cost-based fee otherwise applies to requests 32
by a patient's attorney or patient's authorized representative, including 33
any research fees, handling fees or related costs, and the cost of first 34
class postage, if applicable, for furnishing a health record pursuant to 35
this subsection, except such provider may charge a patient the amount 36
necessary to cover the cost of materials for furnishing a copy of an x-37
ray, provided no such charge shall be made for furnishing a health 38
record or part thereof to a patient, a patient's attorney or authorized 39
representative if the record or part thereof is necessary for the purpose 40
of supporting a claim or appeal under any provision of the Social 41
Security Act or a claim or appeal for veterans' benefits under any 42
provision of Title 38 of the United States Code or chapter 506 and the 43
request is accompanied by documentation of the claim or appeal. A 44
provider shall furnish a health record requested pursuant to this 45
section within thirty days of the request. No health care provider, who 46
has purchased or assumed the practice of a provider who is retiring or 47
deceased, may refuse to return original records or copied records to a 48
patient who decides not to seek care from the successor provider. 49
When returning records to a patient who has decided not to seek care 50
from a successor provider, such provider may not charge a patient for 51
costs incurred in copying the records of the retired or deceased 52
provider. 53 Substitute Bill No. 958
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This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage 20-7c(d)
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 2, "otherwise" was inserted before "applies" for clarity.
PH Joint Favorable Subst.