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S 1624

Requires that recipients of public assistance benefits must be residents of the state for at least ninety days prior to applying for such benefits

2025 Regular Session Introduced by George Borrello

Requires MA providers to store patient records electronically and replaces per-page fees with a base/admin fee plus capped device costs.

REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES
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Bill Summary · S 1624

Summary — S.1624: An Act relative to personal health information portability and accessibility

Status: Filed 1/9/2025; introduced in the Massachusetts Senate and referred to committee (listed as REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICES / Public Health / Finance in legislative history). Presented by Sen. Bruce E. Tarr (with co-petitioner Peter J. Durant). Hearing activity scheduled for July 14, 2025.

Purpose

To require hospitals, clinics and other health care providers in Massachusetts to maintain patient medical records in secure electronic form (or convert them to electronic media) and to change how providers may charge for producing medical records — shifting away from per‑page charges to limited, device‑based and administrative fees.

Key provisions

  • Definitions (added to Chapter 111, §1)

    • Broadly defines “Hospital/Clinic” to include hospitals, hospital systems, physicians (primary care and specialists), urgent care, mental health providers, dentists, therapists, paramedics/EMTs and similar providers.
    • Defines “Patient” to include individuals who receive/received care and their legal representatives (guardians, POAs, executors, health care proxies, etc.).
    • Defines “Authorized Third Party” as non‑patient individuals or entities contracted with or authorized in writing by the patient.
    • Defines “Electronic Digital Media Storage Device” (e.g., disk, flash drive, thumb drive).

  • Records storage requirement (amendment to Chapter 111, §70)

    • Medical records “must be kept by secure, electronic digital media or converted to electronic digital media” as originally created.

  • Fees for producing records (amendment to Chapter 111, §70)

    • Eliminates per‑page charges for production of records (reflecting electronic format requirement).
    • For requests made by a patient (or their representative): allows a base administrative fee up to $15 per request, plus the reasonable cost of the storage device used to deliver the records (capped at $10 per device).
    • For requests made by an authorized third party: allows a base administrative fee up to $50 per request, plus storage device cost (capped at $10 per device).

Who is affected

  • Providers: hospitals, clinics and a broad range of health care professionals will need to maintain secure electronic records and support electronic release procedures.
  • Patients and their representatives: will generally face lower or more predictable fees and can receive records on electronic media.
  • Authorized third parties: face a higher administrative fee (up to $50) when requesting records.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Filed in the Massachusetts Senate on Jan 9, 2025; legislative actions include referrals to Public Health and Social Services committees and hearings scheduled July 14, 2025. Current status in available record: referred to committee.

Potential impacts and implementation considerations

  • Benefits: increases portability and accessibility of personal health information; reduces per‑page cost barriers; clarifies patient and representative access rights.
  • Costs/administration: providers may incur upfront costs to implement or upgrade secure electronic records systems and procedures, and to supply electronic media; must ensure HIPAA/state privacy/security compliance when transferring electronic records.
  • Operational issues: conversion of existing paper records, secure device handling/chain of custody, and policy updates for releasing records to third parties will need to be addressed by providers.

Related/companion legislation and prior-session bills are noted in the legislative record.

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

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