An Act Regarding the Cost of Copies of Medical Records
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2151
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: CRAVEN, ARATA, BRIDGEO, DILL, DOUDERA, GATTINE, HASENFUS, MOONEN, PIERCE
Amends: 22 MRSA §1711, 22 MRSA §1711-A

Legislative Document
No. 2151
H.P. 1375
House of Representatives, January 3, 2024
An Act Regarding the Cost of Copies of Medical Records
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CRAVEN of Lewiston.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ARATA of New Gloucester, BRIDGEO of Augusta, DILL 
of Old Town, DOUDERA of Camden, GATTINE of Westbrook, HASENFUS of Readfield, 
MOONEN of Portland, Senator: PIERCE of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §1711, 5th ¶, as amended by PL 2013, c. 158, §1, is repealed 
and the following enacted in its place:
A hospital or its vendor, in making and providing a paper copy of a patient's medical 
record and additions to the medical record, may assess reasonable fees as charges to the 
requesting person, and the hospital or its vendor may require payment prior to responding 
to the request. A charge to a 3rd party receiving a paper copy of a patient's medical record 
may not exceed $20 for validating the request documents and locating the medical record 
and 45¢ for each page of the medical record, up to a maximum of $250 for an entire medical 
record. A $20 fee may also be charged for providing a letter that states that the patient's 
medical record was not located.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §1711, 6th ¶, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 158, §2, is amended to 
read:
If a patient's medical record exists in a digital or electronic format, the a hospital or its 
vendor shall provide an electronic copy of the medical record if an electronic copy is 
requested and it is reasonably possible to provide it.  The hospital or its vendor may assess 
as charges reasonable actual costs of staff time to a 3rd party receiving a medical record a 
fee not to exceed $20 for validating the request documents and locating the medical record 
and 45¢ for each page of the medical record to create or copy the medical record and the 
costs of necessary supplies and postage.  Actual costs may not include a retrieval fee or the 
costs of new technology, maintenance of the electronic record system, data access or 
storage infrastructure. A $20 fee may also be charged for providing a letter that states that 
the patient's medical record was not located. Charges assessed under this paragraph may 
not exceed $150.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §1711-A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 158, §3, is further amended 
to read:
§1711-A.  Fees charged for records
Whenever a health care practitioner defined in section 1711‑B or its vendor furnishes 
in paper form requested copies of a patient's treatment record or a medical report or an 
addition to a treatment record or medical report to the patient or the patient's authorized 
representative a 3rd party, the charge for the copies or the report may not exceed the 
reasonable costs incurred by the health care practitioner in making and providing the copies 
or the report.  The charge for the copies of a patient's treatment record or the medical report 
may not exceed $5 $20 for the first page validating the request documents and locating the 
treatment record or medical report and 45¢ for each additional page of the treatment record 
or medical report, up to a maximum of $250 for the entire treatment record or medical 
report. A $20 fee may also be charged for providing a letter that states that a patient's 
treatment record or medical report was not located.
If a treatment record or medical report exists in a digital or electronic format, the health 
care practitioner or its vendor shall provide an electronic copy of the treatment record or 
medical report if an electronic copy is requested and it is reasonably possible to provide it.  
The health care practitioner or its vendor may assess as charges reasonable actual costs of 
staff time to create or copy the treatment record or medical report and the costs of necessary 
supplies and postage.  Actual costs may not include a retrieval fee or the costs of new 
technology, maintenance of the electronic record system, data access or storage 
infrastructure to a 3rd party receiving a patient's treatment record or a medical report a fee 
not to exceed $20 for validating the request documents and locating the patient records and 
45¢ for each page of the treatment record or medical report. A $20 fee may also be charged 
for providing a letter that states that a patient's treatment record or medical report was not 
located.  Charges assessed under this paragraph may not exceed $150.
SUMMARY
This bill provides that a hospital or its vendor, in making and providing a paper copy 
of a patient's medical record and additions to the medical record, may assess reasonable 
fees as charges to the requesting person, and the hospital or its vendor may require payment 
prior to responding to the request. A charge to a 3rd party receiving a paper copy of a 
patient's medical record may not exceed $20 for validating the request documents and 
locating the medical record and 45¢ for each page of the medical record, up to a maximum 
of $250 for an entire medical record. A $20 fee may also be charged for providing a letter 
that states that the patient's medical record was not located. If a patient's medical record 
exists in a digital or electronic format, a hospital or its vendor must provide an electronic 
copy of the medical record if an electronic copy is requested and it is reasonably possible 
to provide it.  The hospital or its vendor may assess as charges to a 3rd party receiving a 
medical record a fee not to exceed $20 for validating the request documents and locating 
the medical record and 45¢ for each page of the medical record to create or copy the medical 
record. A $20 fee may also be charged for providing a letter that states that the patient's 
medical record was not located. Charges assessed may not exceed $150.
The bill also provides that whenever a health care practitioner or its vendor furnishes 
in paper form requested copies of a patient's treatment record or a medical report or an 
addition to a treatment record or medical report to a 3rd party, the charge for the copies of 
a patient's treatment record or the medical report may not exceed $20 for validating the 
request documents and locating the treatment record or medical report and 45¢ for each 
page of the treatment record or medical report, up to a maximum of $250 for the entire 
treatment record or medical report. A $20 fee may also be charged for providing a letter 
that states that a patient's treatment record or medical report was not located. If a treatment 
record or medical report exists in a digital or electronic format, the health care practitioner 
or its vendor must provide an electronic copy of the treatment record or medical report if 
an electronic copy is requested and it is reasonably possible to provide it.  The health care 
practitioner or its vendor may assess as charges to a 3rd party receiving a patient's treatment 
record or a medical report a fee not to exceed $20 for validating the request documents and 
locating the patient records and 45¢ for each page of the treatment record or medical report. 
The $20 fee may also be charged for providing a letter that states that a patient's treatment 
record or medical report was not located.  Charges assessed may not exceed $150.