How long does a doctor in the state of Alabama have to keep medical records?
354170
In colorado, we have to keep the files for 10 years.  It takes up alot of space.  Infact, we were thinking about microfilming our records. This is how we destroy our records.  The clients records are destroyed 10 years after they become an adult.  If the client is a child we have to keep those records and destroy them when they turn 18 + 10 years.  So we say any client born after 1977 we can not destroy and thereon.
597376
The answer may surprise you. Seven years was usually considered enough for almost any record. That said, a nonprofit with a federal government contract was recently penalized hundreds-of-thousands of dollars when the feds came to do an audit of their contract 10 years later and no records existed. I don't know how that resolved. If they were smart they hired a good lawyer and fought hard.\n\nThe bottom-line, it has put those of us wih government contracts on notice to re-examine our retention policies and with no clear guidelines to work with. Note, however, that some contracts will state retention requirements explicitly.
129730
It will fall under Alabama law. Don't know what the age is though.
626200
Try the Texas Medical Board's website www.tmb.tx.us\nIt may be that you are thinking of HIPAA which is a federal law.\n\nI'd contact a bonded document destruction company and ask them if they are authorized to do medical records  They'll come to you, either shred the files on site or take them off to be shredded and give you a receipt.
619763
Depends on the court.  Mostly, keep records in order.
208876
Your doctor's office should have one. Otherwise, you could just write on a piece of paper that you authorize your (or your child's) medical records to be released to so-and-so, then sign and date it.
1163870
Depending on what state and what you were charged with it disappears from your record after a certain amount of years.  I know here in Illinois it's 7 to 10 years.  But if you are going for a job such as with the federal government they will know even if it has been removed or not.
1130713
I believe they keep the records for up to 7 years, but remove themselves from the situation.\n\nThat could be untrue though!
719947
i work in a surgery and it is likely that they may have all or at least some of the records. if they haven't they will have a telephone number for your local imms record centre, which will be able to tell you what u want. hope this is of help.
555511
The length of time you should keep a document depends on the action, expense, or event the document records. Generally, you must keep your records that support an item of income or deductions on a tax return until the period of limitations for that return runs out.  \n\nThe time you are required to keep records includes the period of time during which you can amend your tax return to claim a credit or refund, or that the IRS can assess more tax. The following situations contain the periods of limitations that apply to income tax returns. Unless otherwise stated, the years refer to the period after the return was filed. Returns filed before the due date are treated as filed on the due date.\n\n   1. You owe additional tax and situations (2), (3), and (4), below, do not apply to you; keep records for 3 years.\n   2. You do not report income that you should report, and it is more than 25% of the gross income shown on your return; keep records for 6 years.\n   3. You file a fraudulent income tax return; keep records indefinitely.\n   4. You do not file a return; keep records indefinitely.\n   5. You file a claim for credit or refund* after you file your return; keep records for 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.\n   6. Your claim is due to a bad debt deduction; keep records for 7 years.\n   7. Your claim is due to a loss from worthless securities; keep records for 7 years.\n   8. Keep information on an asset for the life of the asset, even when you dispose of the asset; keep records indefinitely.\n   9. Keep all employment tax records for at least 4 years after the date that the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later.
668808
How Do I Get My Medical Records?\n\nAll hospitals, and most doctors' offices, have a release form that you can use to request your medical records. In most cases you can request the medical information directly from the doctor's office or medical records department at a hospital. For information about a cancer, you should send your request to the hospital's pathology department.\n\nKeep in mind that offices may only keep records for a certain amount of time as required by that state. You should call the office to be sure your records still exist. In many cases you can simply send a letter that includes the relevant information rather than using a specific form. This letter will need to include:\n\n    * Your birth date.\n    * Your full name (including any information about name changes).\n    * Time frame when you were seen (for example July 1998 to September 2000).\n    * The specific types of information you want sent (such as reports from a brain scan, your cholesterol levels, etc.).\n\nYou can have your records sent to yourself to share with a healthcare professional, or directly to a health professional. If you do have the records sent to a health professional, let them know to expect the files.\n \nHow Do I Get Medical Information About My Relatives?\n\nMedical Records\n\nYou can only access medical records for other members of your family with their permission, or with the permission of the next-of-kin for a deceased family member. Each state handles next-of-kin slightly differently, so you should check the requirements in your state. However, the usual legal order for next-of-kin is:\n\n    * The spouse\n    * Children or parents\n    * Grandchildren\n    * Siblings\n    * Nieces or Nephews\n\nIf you are not the next-of-kin, you will need the signature from the legal next-of-kin along with the medical release form. You may also need to attach forms indicating your legal right to the medical records, for example, if you or the next-of-kin is the executor of the estate. Each medical facility has slightly different regulations about the paperwork required for obtaining a relative's medical records. It is best to contact the medical facility before submitting a request.\n\nOften there is no charge to request medical records if the medical records are sent directly to a health professional. If you request that the medical records be sent to you, there may be a fee. The cost can be surprisingly expensive if there are lots of medical records because there are per page copying charges and sometimes additional charges for the time of the person making the copies.\n\nIn some cases, the information you need will be on the death certificate, which is easier to get than the medical records. If you are not the next of kin of the deceased, you should consider getting the death certificate first. If that does not provide the information you need, then try to obtain the medical records.
1108168
Contact your states Medical Board. You can usually pull up physician practice records form their website.\nBest Wishes ! Mare
251933
Check-local county recorders and/or governing court records- archives,most likely since its been 10 years.
1055835
Under FEDERAL law,an employer must keep your personnel records at leat two years after you've left.
691187
About 3 years.  If you are a doctor, maybe less, but the correct answers are in the websites here.\n\nSee below.
418492
if u have heard this in ny state then it must be   Digital Record of Patients for Enhanced Analysis & Medication (DREAM) this is an software for the us doctors to keep the record of the patients for future refrences
823447
I am going to make your research real simple here.  Call the state licensing medical board in Pennsylvania and ask them.  Tell them what is going on.  It is unethical for a doctor to withhold medical records from a patient, especially if their life or well being is at stake.\n\nThe hospital and/or doctor may request that you pay a fee for coping expenses of said records, but if the medical bill itself is not paid that shouldn't really matter.\n\nIf you have a doctor requesting the records, because you are changing physicians, it is normal to give a copy of your medical records for free to the said physician as a professional courtesy.\n\nGood Luck and Take Care