How to Request Your UC Health Medical Records

UC Health takes pride in providing world-class medical care to patients in the Cincinnati area and beyond. With the academic backing of the University of Cincinnati, UC Health deals with nearly every medical specialty.

UC Health focuses on advancing health and reducing suffering, and they believe in improving the health of all people regardless of racial background, ethnicity, belief system or income restrictions. UC Health uses the strength of academic medicine to foster its values of inclusivity, respect, integrity, empathy, and putting patients and their families first.

With a vast medical repertoire, retrieving medical records from UC Health may prove challenging. Fortunately, DoNotPay can help.

HIPAA Legislation Allows You Access to UC Health Medical Records

Federal legislation passed in 1996 protected the patient's privacy and their right to know the details of their medical care. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA contains a Privacy Rule that gives individuals the right to obtain medical information from healthcare providers. A patient may seek access to the protected health information or PHI to inspect it, get a copy, or both.

The patient maintains the right to obtain both manual and electronic and hard copy records regardless of when the care or procedure occurred.

What Information Is Included in the Right of Access or the ‘Designated Record Set’?

The Designated Record Set as described in 45 CFR 164.05 consists of a group of records covered by an entity that consists of the following:

• Medical records
• Billing records
• Enrollment records, payments, claim adjustments, or any medical management record system maintained by or for a health plan.
• Miscellaneous records used to make decisions about individuals

The person requesting the information does not need to be the named individual in question.

What if You Need Electronic Copies of Your Medical Records?

HIPAA legislation also allows consumers to retrieve their medical information electronically easily. UC Health provides their patients with My UC Health. The secure patient portal allows patients to view doctor's notes, review test results, schedule appointments, and even pay their bills.

Patients set up their accounts in the portal by creating a username and password. They finalize creating an account by sending a secure activation code via email. Patients need the following information to set up their My UC health portal.

• Full name
• Email address
• Social Security Number
• ID or Member Number associated with a hospital
• Date of birth, including the year
• Address and phone number

Once set up, the patient may also activate the account on a mobile device. With this, the patient will be able to easily access their UC Health medical records.

What Types of Medical Records Cannot Be Accessed?

PHI or personal health information that does not fall under the Designated Record Set does not qualify as available to the patient. The type of information that is not accessible falls into three main categories:

1. Information used for business decisions and performance evaluations of the hospital or healthcare facility that doesn't pertain to the patient's health. It involves customer service and the patient experience.
2. Personal psychotherapy notes taken by the mental health care provider during a counseling session don't qualify as part of the patient's medical record.
3. Information intended for criminal or civil court proceedings.

How to Get UC Health Medical Records on Your Own

Follow these instructions if you can't access the My UC Health portal or need a physical copy of a medical record.

1. Download and complete the authorization form.
2. Choose to submit your request through email or fax.
3. Note that the process may require the submission of a valid photo ID. Acceptable identification includes driver's license, employee ID, School ID, and passport.
4. Make sure that to send the request to the correct facility’s email or fax:

Once the medical records release form is received by the hospital, it usually takes between seven to ten business days for you to get the requested record. Legally, though, it could take up to 30 days.

How Much Do Copies of UC Health Medical Records Cost?

Records going to a doctor, employer, Family Services, or Social Security office won't incur a fee. The Ohio Department of Health determines other fees that don't get determined until the request time. Of course, when you use the patient portal, there are no charges.

DoNotPay Will Help You Obtain Your UC Health Medical Records

Gathering the information to request medical records from UC Health may seem tedious. Why not save time, frustration, and money and let DoNotPay help you retrieve your records? Just follow the simple steps below:

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.

DoNotPay Works Across All Hospitals to Get Your Medical Records Easily

DoNotPay can assist you in retrieving your medical information from different hospitals and clinics, including:

• Cleveland Clinic
• Baptist Health
• Mercy Medical Center
• Kaiser Permanente

What Else Can You Expect From DoNotPay?

As the world's first robotic lawyer, DoNotPay possesses the business expertise to help you with everyday problems and complicated issues. Check out some examples below:

• Get help with paying your bills
• Request an advance health directive
• Obtain a birth certificate
• Request sick leave

Visit DoNotPay for more information on how you can save time and money.