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Bill

SD 428

An Act relative to medical records requests

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Peter Durant and 1 co-sponsor

Establishes mandatory timelines for Massachusetts healthcare providers to fulfill patient medical records requests, enabling faster access to personal health information.

House concurred
0
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Bill Summary · SD 428

Legislative bill overview

SD 428 establishes new requirements and timelines for healthcare providers to respond to patient medical records requests in Massachusetts. The bill aims to standardize the process for obtaining medical records and specify the timeframes within which providers must comply with such requests.

Why is this important

Medical records access directly affects patients' ability to manage their healthcare, switch providers, pursue second opinions, and support legal claims or insurance matters. Clear statutory timelines reduce administrative delays and give patients enforceable rights when providers don't respond promptly.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost implications: Providers may argue that strict timelines and detailed record compilation requirements increase administrative burdens and costs, particularly for small practices
  • Definition of "reasonable timeframe": Disagreement over what constitutes timely fulfillment—whether days, weeks, or months—and whether different record types should have different deadlines
  • Scope and format requirements: Unclear specifications about what format records must be provided in (digital vs. paper), which records must be included, and whether providers can charge copying/processing fees

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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