Sleep study results?

[BasementDwellingGeek]

I've never seen mine. So today I started investigating how to get them. My eyes popped when I read this "If you are requesting a copy of your medical record from a Massachusetts facility, a base fee of $19.84 plus $.67 per page for the first 100 pages and $.35 per page after 100 pages is required for copies of medical records."

Is that typical?

How many pages are in a sleep study report?

What was your cost to acquire your results?

[robysue]

The sleep study report with the summary graphs is typically in the neighborhood of 4-7 pages long. That's not the raw data of course---but it's enough to understand what the sleep study showed about your sleep architecture, when your events typically happened, whether periodic limb movements were an issue and more.

After requesting them a couple of times from the sleep doc's office, the finally sent me copies of the first two studies. After studies 3 and 4, the PA ha copies for me to take with me at my follow up. Mt sleep doc's office was kind enough to NOT charge a penny for the sleep study report with the summary data. I never was able to get them to give/sell/release my raw data from any of the sleep studies,

[Tino2You]

My doc gave me a copy of the analyzed sleep study (3 pages). I did not request the raw data. I did not ask. As with everything else in the great country we live in, there are 51 different rules regarding medical information and the dissemination thereof.

[LSAT]

This is what the internet says about charges for medical records in Massachusetts.....

Massachusetts (As of 2011)
243 CMR 2.07(13)(c)
A fee for copying in excess of $.25/page or a fee for clerical work in excess of $20.00/hour is presumptively unreasonable.
Charges for copies of x-rays and similar documents not reproducible by ordinary photocopying shall be at the licensee's actual cost, plus reasonable clerical fees not in excess of $20.00/hour.

I personally have never paid for my records from a doctor or any medical facility. I always ask for copies at the time of service...not at some later date.

[BasementDwellingGeek]

I did fill out an online form inquiring about getting a CD or DVD with PSG results. I was very happy to hear back from the records people.
"I contacted the sleep lab regarding your request. They are looking into having your PSG data from your last sleep study burned onto a CD; this would be no cost."
I just hope it doesn't get red taped and the data is in EDF format or something else that has a published spec.

[avi123]

SUMMARY

You have the right to see your medical record. You also have the right to get a copy of
your medical record. These rights are often called the right of access to your medical
record.

In Massachusetts, the time period for responding to your request to see or get a copy of
your medical record differs depending on the type of provider. Most health care
providers, including hospitals, must let you see or give you a copy of your medical
record no later than 30 days after they receive your request. Under rules set by the
Board of Registration in Medicine, doctors usually must respond to your request within
14-21 days.

Generally, your health care provider must give you a copy in the format that you
request if they are able to do so.

In many cases, you may have to pay a fee to get a copy of your record.

[Stacita]

I just emailed my doctor and he emailed me the reports as soon as he got them from the sleep center, free of charge. I haven't printed them out but I'm guessing they'd be 2 pages each - maybe more if they were on letterhead or in a big font or whatever. I have seen other posts here with reports that seem more detailed than mine, so I guess length would also depend on what detail is included.

[avi123]

I just emailed my doctor and he emailed me the reports as soon as he got them from the sleep center, free of charge. I haven't printed them out but I'm guessing they'd be 2 pages each - maybe more if they were on letterhead or in a big font or whatever. I have seen other posts here with reports that seem more detailed than mine, so I guess length would also depend on what detail is included.

Comment,

I have about a dozen physicians in defferent specialties but none uses emails. They don't get paid for emailing. To see the results of my last sleep study I had to call and arrange an appointment with my sleep Doc who is NOT a Medicare provider. So I went to see him and had to pay about $80 for the few minutes. I got back from Medicare about $50. The manager of the sleep clinics told me in an email that they don't deal with patients about results. Only with physicians. Later, I was glad to see that Medicare paid zero to this sleep clinic manager for the test. Let them go to hell.