Fees for Medical Records
Children’s Mercy strives to provide timely access to your or your child’s medical records. To do so, Children’s Mercy requires a valid authorization and must verify your identity and legal authority to access the desired medical records.
Certain records are provided at no cost to patients/families. These include:
- Pertinent Information Record Set: this is not all records but is a subset of the most significant records, including: History and Physicals, Hospital Admission/Discharge documentation, Provider Progress Notes from hospitalizations, Ambulatory Clinic Notes (by providers), Consultation Notes, Provider Letters, Surgery/Procedure Reports, Radiology Reports, Lab/Pathology/Genetics Results, Asthma Action Plans and primary documentation from Fetal Health, Anesthesia, Emergency Room, Hearing and Speech, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Wound Care and Genetics.
- Specific Record(s): There is no charge for a limited subset of specific records such as Ambulatory Clinic Notes from a specific visit, pertinent records from a specific hospitalization or time period, Radiology Reports, Lab/Pathology/Genetics Results, or Surgery/Procedure Reports.
- Portal/Electronic App Access: There is no charge to send electronic health records directly to your/your child’s patient portal or to link to an approved internet based third-party application (i.e., a personal health app). Requests to link to a third-party app can be made directly through the portal, through the section entitled: “Looking to connect to a health app?”
There is a fee associated with some records requests, as follows:
- Summary Record: This is when you ask for a summary or explanation of the medical records and health information rather than seeking an actual copy of the records. The cost for summary requests will depend on what is being requested.
- Complete Record Set (Master Chart): If you request a complete copy of all of your/your child’s records, you will be charged $6.50 for such requests.
- Third-Party Requests or Patient/Personal Representative Request to Send Records to a Third Party: If specific records or the master chart is requested there will be a flat fee charged of $6.50 for such requests.
- Radiology Images/Photos: Please note that photos and radiology images must be specifically requested and additional charges apply. Radiology images = $20 a disk, photos = $5 a disk.
If you need assistance determining whether you owe a fee or to request a financial hardship waiver, please contact Health Information Management (HIM), 816-234-3455. All fees apply to both paper or electronic copies and regardless of whether the records are picked up or mailed.
Children’s Mercy reserves the right to withhold the release of records, to charge a different amount for non-standard requests and to increase the fees at any time. Fees will be adjusted at least annually as provided by law.