Charge for copy of sleep study?

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:43 am

Do you normally have to pay to get a copy of your sleep study? I just called my clinic to see if I could get copies of my two sleep studies. They informed me there would be a $5.00 retrieval fee and a charge of $.25 per page. I will just wait with getting the copies for now, I am going to my doctor next week anyway. Maybe I can convince my doctor to run me off some copies. The way I look at it, I paid plenty for the sleep studies, I should at least get a copy of the reports!

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:47 am

This does seem to be a little shady but the price seems to be close to what the actual cost would be. Seems they could give you one copy N/C.

ahujudybear · Post by **ahujudybear** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 1:30 pm

I think Froedtert Medical Records charged me $3.83 for the first 5 or 6 pages and $.29 for each page after that. But my Dr. had his secretary send me copies too (which are MUCH clearer!), so I ended up with 2 copies, plus some extras from Medical Records that they tossed in for nothing. I think my total bill was $7.83.

This probably varies from place to place.

Some years ago when I asked for a copy of my polio records from Children's Hospital, they charged me $35.00 for them... for about 8 or 10 pages or so. And they were terribly difficult to read, having been carboned and xeroxed and microfilmed. (records from 1952)

- JB

MartiniLover · Post by **MartiniLover** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 1:37 pm

I just asked my doctor, and they made me a copy. Which I feel is fair, I don't think they should charge you unless you make them go back into the files and create extra work for them after the fact.

Don't ever be afraid to ask for copys of your tests, and reports.

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 1:37 pm

I didn't have to pay for copies of my sleep study. I've never had to pay for copies of anything through any physician for any other reason either. Have you? This seems highly unethical.

tlc95066 · Post by **tlc95066** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:55 am

I think that charging you for a copy of your own report is unethical. My sleep doc. mailed me a copy of my report to my primary doc and to me at home. I didn't even have to ask him.

CandyADiva · Post by **CandyADiva** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 11:52 am

well i got a copy from my doctor and if i wanted a cop from the sleep study center they gave me a number i can call to request a copy for no charge. i think a clinic is wrong when they want to get paid for giving you a copy of your medical records. i think we paid enough for the sleep study test.

ballast949 · Post by **ballast949** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:44 pm

Seems to me that since you (or you through your insurance) paid big bucks for the study, that you, as the customer, are entitled to a copy of the studies for free. Now if you asked for extra copies, it would be reasonable to charge you.

IWannaSleep · Post by **IWannaSleep** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:22 pm

Well, I was given a complete copy of my SS with all the color graphs for the whole night. They didn't charge me for it right then, but realize you are paying for it one way or another. That is if you don't get charged directly when you receive it, it will be included in your overall health care costs somewhere. If your company covers most of your health care costs then they end up picking it up. And of course we all know where this all leads.

Ron

ahujudybear · Post by **ahujudybear** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:54 pm

If you get the copies from your physician, they don't charge you for them. But if you have to go through the Medical Records Department, this is a separate company operating within the hospital and they do charge you for the copies.
- JB

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:19 pm

I didn't think it sounded right that I needed to pay for copies of my sleep studies. I will ask my doctor for them when I go next week. It just seems weird to me that the clinic did not provide me with some sort of written report following my sleep studies. For the price I (and my insurance) paid, I think they should have given me something.

Ligament · Post by **Ligament** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 9:29 pm

tlc95066 wrote:I think that charging you for a copy of your own report is unethical. My sleep doc. mailed me a copy of my report to my primary doc and to me at home. I didn't even have to ask him.

Why is this unethical? The doctor is NOT paid to make you copies...there is no allowance from the insurance company to provide for this...that is money out of the doctor's pocket to pay his secretary to retrieve records, copy, refile, and mail them to you. That is a significant cost, especially when it happens for multiple patients. Can easily add up to thousands of dollars per year/office. And per hospital, easily tens of thousands per year.

It is certainly a doctors ethical obligation to allow you unrestricted access to your records, but not an oblication to lose money copying them for you...

tlc95066 · Post by **tlc95066** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 11:36 am

In my opinion, it is the doctors obligation to provide his/her patients with as much information about their condition as he/she can. Afterall, we are paying for their services and tests.

We as "consumers" have the right to know what the results are of tests. If the doctors are providing good "customer service" to their clients (patients) then they should automatically send a copy to their clients. In doing this I believe that it opens the door for communication from patient to doctor and visa versa.

Again, this is my opinion and you are free to disagree. I believe that it is unethical because we as consumers have a right to know. If the physicians and offices provide this as a part of their normal processes then it will really not cost them any more money. Typically the sleep center physician sends a copy of the report to the primary physician anyway.

I own my own consulting business and when working with clients I always provide them with a full report of an audit that has been conducted. I do not charge them for additional copies of their "health check up". it is built into the price of the audit. Tests results likely have this "built into" the price as well. Afterall they are trying to run a profitable business.

Just my 2 cents
TLC

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 1:17 pm

tlc95066 wrote:
We as "consumers" have the right to know what the results are of tests.
--This is true, as I said above

If the doctors are providing good "customer service" to their clients (patients) then they should automatically send a copy to their clients. In doing this I believe that it opens the door for communication from patient to doctor and visa versa.
--It also costs a lot of money for the doctors office

Again, this is my opinion and you are free to disagree. I believe that it is unethical because we as consumers have a right to know. If the physicians and offices provide this as a part of their normal processes then it will really not cost them any more money.
--False, it costs a lot of money already.

Typically the sleep center physician sends a copy of the report to the primary physician anyway.

I own my own consulting business and when working with clients I always provide them with a full report of an audit that has been conducted. I do not charge them for additional copies of their "health check up". it is built into the price of the audit. Tests results likely have this "built into" the price as well.
--This in NOT built into insurance reimbursement schemes

Afterall they are trying to run a profitable business.
--Which is why I think they should not be obligated to lose money sending you copies for free. They already pay staff full time to deal with insurance companies, and the added expense of retrieving, copying, mailing, and refiling records is significant. I am happy to pay for copies of mine.

Just my 2 cents
--Thanks
TLC

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:38 pm

get a new doctor that charge you nothing, always go for the cheapest, dont pay a cent for anything, poorest doctors are the most ethical like doctors that served in the 3rd world countries as long as you feel comfortable if you go to see a doctor in a shed without a toilet, tap water supply and no sterilised instrucment plus no indemdnity.

I personally like to ensure my doctor is well paid. I dont mind paying more for any service provided. I always go for the most expensive as the service is generally better.

For a doctor charging the dearest consultation, I can get any photocopies for free. This must be some poor doctor trying to work out the time spent or the service indirectly given should be charged accordingly to be fair to all other customers. Customers requiring more time and effort should be billed accordingly.

An expensive lawyer charges customers for every sinlge little task including phonecalls etc.

It is like associating charging more with being unethical.

Charge for copy of sleep study?

Charge for copy of sleep study?

charge for a copy of your sleep study

?cheap is best