Bill
SD 622
Requires providers to give patients plain-language, complete medical information within 15 business days, and copies or summaries of records at a reasonable cost.
Overview
- Bill number and title: Senate Bill 622, “An Act relative to medical records requests.”
- Purpose: Establish a clear, timely process for patients or their authorized representatives to obtain their medical records in understandable language, while allowing reasonable costs for copies and preserving essential information for informed consent.
- Status: House concurred (as part of the 2025-2026 General Court). Filed January 14, 2025; referred to Public Health (Senate Docket No. 622). Similar matter previously filed as S. 751 in 2023-2024.
What the bill would do (key provisions)
1) New Section (x) — Plain-language, comprehensive information
- Requirement: Upon written request, a provider must supply to the patient or an authorized representative within 15 business days complete and current information the provider possesses concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
- Language standard: Information must be provided in terms and language the patient can reasonably be expected to understand.
- Scope: Intended to ensure patients receive a thorough, up-to-date understanding of their medical situation.
2) New Section (y) — Access to records (copies or summaries)
- Requirement: Upon written request, and at a reasonable cost to the patient, providers must promptly furnish within 15 business days:
- (1) Copies of the patient’s health record (including laboratory reports, X-rays, prescriptions, and other technical information used in assessing health conditions); or
- (2) The pertinent portion of the record relating to a condition specified by the patient.
- Summary option: With the patient’s consent, the provider may furnish only a summary of the record instead of full copies.
- Exclusions: The provider may exclude from the health record written speculations about the patient’s health condition, but must include all information necessary for the patient’s informed consent.
Additional context
- Relationship to current law: The bill adds new sections to Chapter 118I of the General Laws (as appearing in 2020), creating statutory rights to timely, understandable medical information.
- Costs: The provision requires access at a “reasonable cost” for copies, balancing patient rights with provider resources.
Who is affected
- Patients and their authorized representatives: Gain enhanced rights to receive timely, comprehensible medical information.
- Healthcare providers and health information management operations: Responsible for timely delivery, plain-language translations, and reasonable-copy pricing; must determine what qualifies as “current” information and what constitutes “specifications” for targeted records.
- Providers’ administrative processes: May require adjustments to ensure a 15-business-day turnaround and compliance with language/plain-language standards.
Timeline and procedural notes
- Introduced: February 27, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 622).
- Legislative actions: Referred to the Committee on Public Health; House concurred (indicating cross-chatutical agreement between chambers) as of the provided status.
- Related history: Similar measure previously filed in the 2023-2024 session (S. 751).
Impact and considerations
- Positive impact: Improves patient access to medical information in an understandable form within a defined timeframe.
- Practical considerations: Defining “current information,” ensuring compliance with plain-language requirements, and establishing what constitutes “reasonable cost” for copies.
- Privacy and consent: Aligns with patient autonomy while allowing some exclusions for speculative content, provided essential informed-consent information is included.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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