If You Need Copies of Your Lancaster General Hospital Medical Records, Ask DoNotPay to Help!

Lancaster General Hospital is proud of its solid U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings year after year. A part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Lancaster General ranks the best hospital in Lancaster County, fourth among all Pennsylvania hospitals, and is in the top rankings, nationally, for its Urology and Orthopedic services.

If you have been a patient of the hospital and need a copy of your Lancaster General medical records, do you know how to get them? Check out how the DoNotPay app can help you.

You Have the Right to a Copy of Your Lancaster General Hospital Medical Records

To assure Americans receive access to their own medical records, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996. In addition, HIPAA prevents your health information from being shared without your consent.

Why You May Need a Copy of Your Records

Even if you just want to see your medical records, you should have access to them. But there are other more specific reasons for needing copies including:

• You are changing medical providers
• To file an insurance claim
• To apply for disability
• You are getting quotes for health insurance
• To using as evidence in a personal injury lawsuit

What if Your Records are Old?

Each state has its own legislation regarding how long doctors and medical facilities must retain copies of their patient records. Pennsylvania's physicians must keep adult patient medical records for a minimum of seven years following the date they were last seen, according to the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

Can You Request Your Lancaster General Medical Records Yourself?

Yes, you can request your records on your own, but it may be confusing. Lancaster General's website addresses getting copies of your records in many areas. As an overview, medical records are divided into three types, according to the hospital.

Personal Health Records (PHR)

The PHRs are available on paper, on the internet, or through an app for your smartphone. These are the records you may routinely share with your physician such as updates on your at-home blood pressure readings.

Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

Your EMR consists of your general medical records including scheduling appointments and billing information. They are internal to Lancaster General and not generally shared with other medical facilities outside the University of Pennsylvania Healthcare system.

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

These are your health records that can be made available to other physicians and medical facilities. The EHR is used, for example, to submit a prescription to your pharmacy, or records to a specialist, and to you.

Requesting Your Medical Records

If you are a part of the MyLGHealth system, you can access your electronic health information from your home or office computer. Here you can request a copy of your records. For questions, you can call 717-544-5911 and choose option 2.

To get copies of your medical records for a new medical provider, for insurance claims, to apply for disability, or for reasons, you need to complete a medical release form. LGH's release form is available on the hospital's website, or by visiting the hospital, weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

You can get up to 10 copied pages for free. For additional pages, there is an undefined charge not to exceed the rate allotted by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. However, there is a cap of $40 for up to 100 pages.

While Lancaster General Hospital does offer answers to your medical record questions by phone, getting copies of those records is still confusing at best. DoNotPay alleviates that confusion.

How to Request Your Medical Records Through DoNotPay

DoNotPay was designed to make everyday tasks easier for people just like you. To request copies of your Lancaster General Hospital medical records through DoNotPay, all you need to do is:

1. Look up medical records on DoNotPay's website.
2. Enter the name of the health care provider you'd like to receive medical records from.
3. Answer a few questions about your provider and where you'd like to send the records.

Then just wait for DoNotPay to notify you when it has finished your request, and when your records are either available for pickup or being sent to you, as per your request.

Get Your Records from Any Hospital, Anywhere in the U.S.

Getting your records through DoNotPay is not limited to Lancaster General Hospital Medical Records. DoNotPay can get you copies of your medical records from any medical facility across the country as long as they are not too old.

For example, the app can request your records from

1. Kaiser Permanente
2. The Cleveland Clinic
3. Baptist Medical Center
4. Mercy Hospital

DoNotPay Offers Aid With Many Other Chores

DoNotPay can help you with other medical-related documents and more. Some examples include:

• Getting a copy of your birth certificate
• Filing an insurance claim
• Reporting identify theft
• Getting your landlord, or an airline to accept your emotional support animal

And that is just scratching the surface. Whether you need help organizing and paying your regular monthly bills or negotiating your hotel bill, DoNotPay is ready to help you any day, any time.