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HB 495

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As enacted, rewrites the fee limits for a party requesting a patient's medical record in either paper or electronic format from a provider or the provider's third-party release of information provider. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Charlie Baum

Tennessee rewrites medical record request fee limits for healthcare facilities, effective July 1, 2025, to regulate what patients and third parties pay for paper or electronic records.

Pub. Ch. 339
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Bill Summary · HB 495

Legislative bill overview

HB 495 modifies Tennessee law to establish new fee limits that hospitals and healthcare facilities can charge patients or third parties requesting medical records in paper or electronic format. The bill amends state law governing healthcare provider fees and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Why is this important

Medical record request fees directly affect patient access to their own health information and can influence healthcare decision-making, insurance claims, and legal proceedings. Fee limits balance providers' administrative costs against patients' rights to obtain their records without prohibitive charges.

Potential points of contention

  • Fee structure details unclear from summary: The specific new fee limits are not detailed in this legislative summary, making it difficult to assess whether limits are consumer-friendly, reasonable, or burdensome to providers
  • Administrative cost burden: Healthcare facilities may argue that reduced fees don't adequately compensate them for staffing, technology, and compliance costs associated with record requests
  • Electronic vs. paper distinction: Different handling requirements for digital versus physical records could create implementation complexity or disputes over appropriate fee categorization

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

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