The Cost of Receiving Electronic Records in Missouri Now Has a Cap
Before the amendment of the statutes, all medical records were subject to a processing fee plus a per-page charge. The fees were once $17.05 to process the medical records and then each page totaled $.40 even if the records were just emailed in an electronic document. So, essentially, the law forced Missouri personal injury attorneys to pay $.40 per page for medical records that were sent digitally. Since records include the patient's registration, charts, monitoring notes, consults, and nurse assessments; one hospital stay could end up with hundreds of pages of records.
Although the reason to keep digital records for personal injury cases began as a way to cut down the carbon footprint and free up office space, now Missouri personal injury attorneys have another reason to go digital. The amendment of Missouri Statute 191.227 now states that the charge for medical records sent electronically cannot exceed $25 regardless of the number of pages sent.
"If the health care provider stores records in an electronic or digital format, and provides the requested records and affidavit, if requested, in an electronic or digital format, not more than five dollars plus fifty cents per page or twenty-five dollars total, whichever is less"Now electronic medical records can cost no more than $25, which is much better than what Missouri personal injury attorneys would pay under the old law. Under the old law if a personal injury attorney requested medical records with 1000 pages, he or she would end up paying $420.00 even if the records were sent digitally. This is good news for Missouri personal injury victims since under the contingency fee agreement; attorneys deduct the cost of medical records from the amount awarded to the victim.
The cost savings of electronic records means that Missouri personal injury victims will receive more compensation for their injuries and spend less money trying to get the compensation. People and companies have a responsibility to not cause harm to others. If the negligence of a person or company causes injury, contact our experienced Missouri personal injury attorneys at 800.956.2487. You and your family may be entitled to compensation as a result of his or her negligence.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles product liability cases that result in personal injury or death throughout the United States. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a drug company, please contact a product liability attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.
