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2018 SESSION

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HB 1524 Health record retention; practitioners to maintain records for a minimum of six years.

Introduced by: Riley E. Ingram | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Board of Medicine; regulations related to retention of patient records; time. Requires health care practitioners licensed by the Board of Medicine to maintain health records for a minimum of six years following the last patient encounter. The bill also provides that practitioners are not required to maintain health records for longer than 12 years from the date of creation except for (i) health records of a minor child, which shall be maintained until the patient reaches the age of 18 or becomes emancipated, with a minimum of six years following the last patient encounter, and (ii) health records that are required by contractual obligation or federal law to be maintained longer.

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

Board of Medicine; regulations related to retention of patient records; time.  Provides that any health care provider that provides professional services in a family medical practice with locations in the Cities of Colonial Heights and Hopewell that has provided health care services since 1955 and currently maintains all records created since May 2006 in electronic format and all records of current patients created prior to May 2006 in paper format may destroy paper versions of records created prior to May 2006 other than paper records of patients who have not yet reached the age of 18 and shall not be subject to disciplinary action for such action. Paper records of patients who have not yet reached the age of 18 shall be maintained until such time as the patient reaches the age of 18.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Board of Medicine; regulations related to retention of patient records; time. Directs the Board of Medicine to amend regulations governing retention of patient records by health practitioners to require health care providers to maintain patient records (i) for a minimum of 10 years from the date the record was created for an adult patient and (ii) until the patient reaches the age of 18 or becomes emancipated, with a minimum time for record retention of 10 years from the date the record was created, for records of a minor child patient. Currently, patient records must be maintained (a) for a minimum of six years from the date of the last patient encounter for adult patients and (b) until the patient reaches the age of 18 or becomes emancipated, with a minimum time for record retention of six years from the date of the last patient encounter, for minor child patients.