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Bill Summary · HB 2783

Overview

Missouri House Bill 2783 (HB 2783), introduced in the 2026 session, amends the state law governing the copying and disclosure of medical records. The core aim is to limit or prohibit certain charges by providers for records when they are used to support applications for specific benefits (notably Workers’ Compensation, Veterans, or Disability benefits) and to clarify formats and timing for providing records. The bill builds on existing statute (section 191.227) by replacing it with a revised section that tightens fee rules and specifies circumstances for disclosure.

Main purpose and intent

  • To limit or prohibit charges by health care providers for copies of medical records when the records are used to support applications for certain public benefit programs and services (Workers’ Compensation, Veterans benefits, and various disability benefits).
  • To ensure that when records are provided electronically, they are furnished in a cost-effective, universally accessible format.
  • To maintain and adjust existing fee structures with annual updates tied to inflation (CPI-U for medical care).

Key provisions and changes

  • Repeals existing section 191.227 and enacts a new section 191.227 with the following notable elements:
    • Providers must furnish a copy of a patient’s health history and treatment upon written request, within a reasonable time, subject to the patient’s condition and therapeutic considerations.
    • Fees for obtaining or reproducing records may include:
    • Search and retrieval fees (up to $24.85) plus copying at $0.57 per page, plus any additional costs for off-site storage retrieval (up to $23.26), adjusted annually.
    • Option to furnish records electronically for a total fee not to exceed $108.88 (lesser of the two options) if:
      • The provider stores records electronically (EHR) and can provide them in electronic format.
      • The provider delivers in a format chosen by the provider and is capable of providing the requested records electronically.
    • Additional charges for postage and notary fees (if requested).
    • Fees adjust annually on February 1 based on the annual percentage change in the CPI for medical care (U.S. city average, CPI-U). The department must publish the adjustment on its website by February 1 each year.
    • “Copies” include notices if no records exist, and the bill clarifies that records created by emergency care providers or telecommunicators responding to emergencies may be disclosed to authorized persons or via subpoena, with fees applicable as for other records.
    • Acknowledges that personal health information is not a public record; redaction may occur for public records when appropriate.
    • Providers may charge only for the reasonable cost of duplications for non-routinely duplicable materials.
    • Transfers of records in good faith do not render providers liable for consequences of disclosure.
    • Provisions for release of records of a deceased patient to a personal representative or executor/administrator, with priority to spouses and a defined hierarchy of eligible recipients (spouse, trustee, adult child, parent, sibling, guardian/conservator, guardian ad litem).
    • Special rules for records created by emergency providers or responders to be released to authorized recipients or via subpoena, with a charge equal to standard fees.
    • Certain records may be provided to support benefit applications (e.g., workers’ comp, veterans, disability) at no charge; electronic records must be provided in a cost-effective, universally accessible format.
  • The bill retains and updates definitions and references for “record,” “health history and treatment,” and related terms, aligning with existing practice while tightening fee-related language.

Who would be affected

  • Health care providers in Missouri (physicians, chiropractors, hospitals, dentists, and other licensed practitioners) who issue copies of patient records.
  • Patients, former patients, legal guardians, or authorized representatives requesting copies of medical records.
  • Executors, administrators, and personal representatives handling deceased patients’ records.
  • Individuals seeking records to support applications for Workers’ Compensation, Veterans benefits, or disability benefits, who would be eligible for no-fee copies under the bill.
  • Entities and departments responsible for enforcing and publishing annual fee adjustments (e.g., the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services).

Procedural and timing aspects

  • Effective date: The bill provisions reference annual fee adjustments beginning February 1 of each year, with updates published on the Department of Health and Senior Services website by February 1.
  • Fee adjustments: Based on annual percentage change in the unadjusted CPI-U for the medical care component (12-month rolling year).
  • Implementation: Replaces current section 191.227 with a new section containing the same general framework but updated fee mechanics and benefit-related carve-outs.

Summary in plain terms

HB 2783 seeks to ensure patients and their authorized representatives can obtain medical records while protecting providers from excessive costs, especially when records are used to apply for certain benefits. It introduces a cost-effective electronic delivery option capped at $108.88 (or the standard search+copy+extras option, whichever is lower) and ties annual fee increases to the medical care CPI. It also formalizes who may receive records for deceased patients and clarifies emergency/telecommunicator-record disclosures, while guaranteeing that records related to benefits applications can be provided at no charge in some cases and in an accessible electronic format.

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

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