Topic: medical records: if you are on assistance are you still able to get copies of them?
lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
if you are on the state or other help and your insurance doesnt pay for testing and you dont p0ay out of pcket...are you still entitled to a copy? a friend is really curious since counselors and docs are treating him much different after neuro psyc and he hasnt seen it
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- I tend to bristle with the use of "on" assistance rather than someone who has Medicaid as their insurance. Or if they RECEIVE assistance.
(Being "on" has a ton of negative undertones for those who receive such programs. I just try to change that when I can.)
Of course, those whose insurance is Medicaid (or a Medicaid administered state plan by some other name) have the same rights as anyone on any other insurance plan.
Sadly, though, doctors often DO tread those who have Medicaid differently (and Medicare). I've sure experienced that many times. It's not always so subtle, either.
He should work with the office manager, sign a form, and he should receive a copy of his file. But, I will say that often some stuff can be missing from a file.
If he senses he is not being treated with the utmost respect and professionalism, he should gets his file and move on.
Having NO therapist is far better than a bad one.
I had a similar thing happen after some inner ear testing. They totally changed and were furious when I had asked the nurse to see my test results - someone wrote "this is far worse that could be possible" and something to the effect that I must have been faking.
But the equipment would not allow that and I was not. Still, they totally shut down in any regards of helping me. They reprimanded the nurse for sharing my file with me. That was not for "my eyes" they said.
I did get a copy later, from the office manager. The damaging remarks were still there. Guess they did not believe me. Years later, other intricate tests confirmed the same results as before - and the new doctor made it clear that this WAS real.
I overheard one doctor tell his nurse to NOT order a hospital bed for an infirm patient at home who requested one. The doctor first said: "Sure, he really needed that a while ago."
But, then he stopped and said, "Oh, wait. He's on assistance, right? Well, they NO. YOU and I have to pay for that. No way!" he said with vigor and apparent pride for stopping that. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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posted
Everytime you leave your doctor's office (any of them) ask for a copy of your visit and or lab/test results. They usually won't charge for them when you do it each visit, it is when you ask for copies of your entire file that they tend to charge and that is to cover time and supplies.
-------------------- Down on her knees, she wept on the floor. This hopeless life, she wanted no more. Dead in the mind and cold to the bone, She opened her eyes and saw she was alone. ~Seether Posts: 427 | From Rhode Island | Registered: May 2011
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posted
I think there may be different rules for psych facilities. Hubby got copies of records for 2 of his 3 psych admits, but one facility would only send the results to a doc and we were never able to get the copy from that doc -- their office was extremely disorganized.
It might depend on the state -- it is possible that there could be different rules especially for psych admits for each state.
I think HIPPA covers all doctors offices and ER's and hospitals except for possibly non hospital affiliated psych facilities.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
well his medical is medicaid-so i understand that part and i have been telling him to get records every time he goes -to say he keeps a file at home cuz he has a lot of docs and it is easier that way...i thought if he did it everytime they would get used to it and not make a big deal if there was one thing he really wanted...but hes lymey and didnt listen and he senses he is being treated different now and he doesnt know if they will give the records to him or not
i dont know what word to use if not assistance...i dont understnad the services -ssdi has not been approved yet so other state services are helping with housing and food etc
i dont really know what program it is---i just meant he isnt paying from his own pocket so he cant say "i paid for that and i want a copy"
thanks i hope he gets some info...its my brother. i try to help but he is where i was 30 yrs ago...being a good boy...taking the drugs they tell him to and PT instead of hip replacement...unless you live thru this lyme journey its hard to explain it to others-esp when they are getting foggy
but i will repeat he has a right to them and hope he gets them. i really cant get too involved -i'm struggling myself these days
thank you all
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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