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Ongoing pain, ownership of records

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Gloria

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TKR Dec 15, 2008. Still have pain up and down my leg. Surgeon is puzzled and suggests nerve inflamation. Had an xray at last visit and he saw nothing and ordered an MRI. The results were to be available 48 hours later. My next appt is two weeks out and he won't make outbound calls or fit me in.

I suggested that I pick up the MRI results and see a neurologist to review the results. The office refuses and furthermore tells me that I don't own the MRI and would have to pay for a copy to get it.

They tell me that it's Florida law. Has anyone run into this type of garbage ?
 
I have never had this problem, you might try making an appointment with the neurologist and get them to request the MRI from your surgeon. I have a long history with the surgeon that did my BI-TKR he was also the one that did 5 scopes over the last 20 years. It is not unreasonable for them to charge for copies of test results.

GOOD LUCK!

Max
 
Gloria,
Who paid for the X-ray's and MRI????? You did right?? (ok your Insur Co. did, same thing) Which means you own them. Call your Insur Co and ask them. They will tell you.
I have been there and done that. Even have the T-shirt to prove it!!!!! Why was there not App. set up to go over MRI before you even had it???? My Doctor always tell me to come back in with in a week's time to go over test that we have done. And the Appointment is how you keep the ball rolling.
And like Max said some offices do charge for copies. Mine are put on a CD for me at no charge but that is just the way my Doctors office handles it. Ask them how much they want to charge you and tell this to your Insur Co. too. If they are on the Insur Co. list for Dotors to use, then they should be willing to work with you.
^i^
 
Frankly, I would go to the Medical Records of your hospital where the MRI was taken. I would ask for a copy of the MRI itself and the results from the radiologist who read it. These should be available to you without cost......
JMO
Best,
Crystal
 
Good one Crystal. I never thought of that one. We have the MRI done at same place our Doctor's are they have it all. And accross the street is the private Hospital that they use. (and own) All in one kind of deal
^i^
 
TKR Dec 15, 2008. Still have pain up and down my leg. Surgeon is puzzled and suggests nerve inflamation. Had an xray at last visit and he saw nothing and ordered an MRI. The results were to be available 48 hours later. My next appt is two weeks out and he won't make outbound calls or fit me in.

I suggested that I pick up the MRI results and see a neurologist to review the results. The office refuses and furthermore tells me that I don't own the MRI and would have to pay for a copy to get it.

They tell me that it's Florida law. Has anyone run into this type of garbage ?

When I took my documents to a new surgeon in Kansas, the first doctor's office willingly gave me copies that I did have to pay for. It was not a large amount of money and I thought it was fair. My MRI's which were done by an imaging center the doctor's office used and not the doctor himself said the images DID belong to me and I was free to do whatever I wanted to with them.

I understand a doctor's desire to keep copies of everything for at least a period of time. Unfortunately in today's lawsuit crazy society, that is necessary to protect themselves.

Was the copying cost outlandish?

Crystal, your suggestion is excellent! A good thing to try if the images were done in a hospital.
 
The surgeon has a totally integrated facility: Dr. offices, MRI facility, PT facility across from the hospital.

The 'staff' tells me that Florida law says the MRI belongs to the Dr. They refuse to even sell me a copy before I see the surgeon. I can't do anything to improve my situation til I see him in two weeks !!!
 
Now THAT'S the pits. It certainly must be a local Florida thing. Wonder if they can provide the law to you so you could read it yourself.

I'm not sure I'd sit and just wait the two weeks. Ship's suggestion that you go ahead and see a new doctor might be the best way to go. Do you have insurance to cover the cost of a new diagnostic image if it's needed? If so, I'd just go on for now. And then have a serious talk with the doctor when you see him.

One other possibility.....have you asked to speak with a supervisor in the office....someone above the person telling you they won't even make a copy for you? If not, I would do that and be VERY assertive.

I'm so sorry to hear you are experiencing this, Gloria. It's not right.
 
Gloria, I did just a little Googling and research into records ownership. In accordance with HIPAA privacy laws (Federal trumps state law), your doctor must provide copies of your medical records (which would include imaging) to you upon request. They are authorized to charge a copying fee that ONLY covers the cost of the copies themselves. It cannot by law include time to research and find them or time to make the copies or any overhead cost. So any cost you would have to pay should be minimal. I would contact this facility and ask to talk with a supervisor over the records department. Tell them you are requesting copies of whatever it is you want in accordance with HIPAA regulations. Ask the cost and how soon they can be provided. If they still give you that song and dance that you must see your surgeon first, ask why. Don't let them tell you it's "state law" unless they can provide that regulation to you. Tell them you will be filing a complaint against them with the Health and Human Services Department. Then go to this link and do it:

https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html

Good luck!!! Hopefully you just got some clerk that didn't quite have things down properly. Many times if you can get to a supervisor, you'll get a little more cooperation.
 
I would call the Doctor's office and ask to speak to him personally, not the staff. If they will not put him on, ask for the office manager. Explain you want a copy of your MRI and the radiologist report ASAP. They should give it to you. If not, request an appointment ASAP that is sooner than 2 weeks away! Be proactive for yourself......... Being proactive always works for me!
Good Luck!
Best,
Crystal
 
That may work, Crystal. It may depend on the facility. We have some here in Kansas City that are honestly so big that the records and administrative staff is it's own thing within the facility. That's why I suggested talking to the supervisor there. But you are definitely right that being assertive is the BEST policy. There has to be SOMEBODY in the office who has the authority to make the decision to release a copy of the records immediately....and I would insist on talking to that person.

What would they do if you were completely changing doctors??? Make you come see the doctor you would no longer be using just to get the records? This just makes no sense to me and I think it can be resolved with some "polite pushiness."
 
Gloria
Sorry all this is happening. I went through a few years of medical nightmare in Georgia. Not related to getting records though. It is so frustrating. I am lucky in that when my doc orders a test he tells me when it will be ready and to see him that day. I also havae his cell #. I have not abused it so I think he is still ok with it.

I understand they want the doc to interpret it for you. Good Luck with getting to speak to him about the situation which I think would be the best thing to do. I have a GI doc who was difficult to reach do to high call volume to his office (shared with many other GI docs) I told him the frustration and they hired more staff, he had no idea.

Good Luck and let us know what happens. I am heading to florida to visit family tomorrow. Port ST Lucie here i come. If you are close I'll come and do a sit in the dr. office until you get to see him with you!!!!!

judy
judy
 
Gloria.
Girl if you have Judy with then nothing can stop you!!!
You go Girls!!!
Hope your flight goes well Judy. Enjoy yourself
^i^
 
Bless you, Simon!!! I wasn't able to find the Florida law and I appreciate that you did.

I suppose the issue here is the doctor wants to be the first one to present to his patient (Gloria) what the results are. That's just fine, but he could do that by phone before the two weeks. To me it's not acceptable to wait 2 weeks for the results of a test that are done within 48 hours max.

Anyway, thanks Simon. Your post was VERY helpful!
 
Hello I have run into the pain after surgery and everyone told me I was crazy or gave 101 reasons why I was having the pain. Turns out 18months later it is a staph infection. Have your doc run blood and drain joint to have this possibility ruled out.
 
Welcome to the forum, Iamru706. So glad you joined us. At what point after your knee surgery did you start to experience the pain? Were you running any fever? And was your leg hot and/or red anywhere or was it just pain? I'm also curious if you really mean it took 18 months to diagnose a staph infection.
 
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