HB3077 Summary

• Amends the Code of Civil Procedure to expand definitions of "health care facility" and "health care practitioner" to include entities that contract to provide copies of protected health information to third parties.

• Requires health care facilities and practitioners to provide patients or their representatives access to protected health information in the form and format requested, if readily producible, or in an agreed-upon alternative format.

• Eliminates the $20 handling charge for processing paper copy requests and establishes tiered pricing for paper copies (75 cents per page for pages 1-25, 50 cents for pages 26-50, 25 cents for pages over 50) and caps electronic delivery fees at $6.50 exclusive of postage.

• Mandates that health care facilities and practitioners adopt written policies detailing accepted methods for record requests, delivery addresses, and acceptable authorization forms, with this information made readily available to patients.

• Requires facilities and practitioners to provide one free complete copy of a patient's protected health information when records are requested to support claims for Social Security Disability Income, Supplemental Security Income, or state-funded medical assistance benefits.