NPR

Opinion: It's Your Right To See Your Medical Records. It Shouldn't Be This Hard To Do

Hospitals and other health care companies often make it hard — and pricey — to get access to your medical data. It doesn't have to be this way.
Americans have the right to access their medical records, but actually doing so is often complicated, slow and costly.

At a time when many insurers and health information technology companies are busily assembling databases of hundreds of millions of medical records, Americans find it difficult to get access to their own.

If you try to get yours, be prepared for confusing policies, ill-informed staff, wasted time and high costs. Even then, you may not get the records you seek. And all of this is at odds with your federal rights.

Last week a relative of mine relayed a typical story. She requested her medical records in digital format, a right . Now, two

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