How to Request Your Penn Medicine Medical Records

Dealing with medical providers can be frustrating. As a patient, you aren't sure who to contact when you need something such as your medical records. How do you get a copy of your records if you want a second opinion? If it's a small rural hospital, it may be easier to just stop by and ask, but what if it is a large medical hospital with several campuses like Penn Medicine? Where do you begin to request medical records from a Penn Medicine facility?

Why Would You Want a Copy of Your Penn Medicine Medical Records?

You don't need a reason to ask for a copy of your medical records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) gives you access to most of your health records so if you're curious go ahead and ask.

Sometimes you may need your medical records for the following reasons.

• Your primary care provider needs them
• Your physical therapist wants them
• You want a second opinion
• You need to see a specialist

If you are filing an insurance claim or an injury lawsuit, you might need medical records to support your claim.

Does Penn Medicine Charge for Medical Records?

Penn Medicine charges for copying medical records according to the laws of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware where the company operates. They do not charge for copies of radiology images and reports. Depending on the age of the records, they may be in electronic form and physical copies would not be required.

They will try to comply within 30 days for information maintained at the facility and 60 days for information held elsewhere. If they cannot meet the deadlines, Penn Medicine will notify you in writing.

Penn Medicine may deny your request if the request includes:

1. Personal notes of a mental health professional
2. Medical records used in a pending civil or criminal case

These exclusions are part of HIPAA and apply to any request for medical records.

Who Can Request Medical Records from Penn Medicine?

Only the patient can authorize the release of their Penn Medicine medical records except as follows:

• The request form must be signed by a parent or legal guardian if the patient is under the age of 18.
• Emancipated Minors. Anyone under the age of 18 who has been married, is or has been pregnant, or is a high school graduate may request their medical records.
• Special-Case Minors. Minors may request a copy of their medical records if they pertain to a diagnosed venereal disease, a substance use problem, or pregnancy determination.
• Incompetent Patient. A patient's legally authorized representative may request a release of medical records.
• Deceased Patient. The patient's estate or executor may request the release of medical information.

How to Request Medical Records from Penn Medicine

The best place to start is the Penn Medicine website to download a release form entitled Authorization for Disclosure of Health Information. Once you have downloaded and printed the form, use the following steps to request Penn Medicine medical records.

1. Complete the two-page form.
2. Sign the form and provide legal documentation if you are not the patient.
3. If the request is for behavioral health information, the hospital representative and witness must sign the request.
4. Mail the signed form to the appropriate facility based on the type of care.

Outpatient Records

You must request outpatient records from the department that delivered the service. Depending on the department, you may incur a charge. Radiology images and reports must be requested from the Film Library of the facility in which the services were performed.

Inpatient Records

Requests for inpatient records must be sent to the Penn Medicine hospital that the patient attended. The following table lists the contact information for the Penn Medicine facilities.

Copies of inpatient records may incur a charge.

How to Request Medical Records Using DoNotPay

DoNotPay's online service can request your medical records in a simple manner that ensures you receive your legally-guaranteed health records. Just use the following three steps to start your request for medical records.

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.

Penn Medicine is not the only provider that DoNotPay can help with. They can help you ask for medical records from organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, Mercy, Baptist, and the Cleveland Clinic.

DoNotPay's online service can help with other medical issues such as advanced healthcare directives or requesting sick leave. Just go to their website and click on the service you want.