Access to your medical records is a fundamental right under HIPAA — but in practice, patients often face delays, high fees, and outright refusals. This course walks you through the legal rights, request methods, negotiation tactics, and complaint processes to obtain your records quickly and securely. By the end, you’ll have a ready-to-use toolkit including request letters, appeal templates, and checklists to ensure you never get stonewalled again when seeking your health information.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
-
Understand their legal right to medical records under HIPAA and state laws.
-
Identify what records they are entitled to and what can be withheld.
-
Submit valid record requests using letters, portals, and in-person forms.
-
Challenge excessive fees or delays from providers.
-
Escalate complaints to hospital compliance officers, OCR, or state regulators.
-
Use records for insurance claims, legal disputes, or continuity of care.
-
Build a repeatable personal system for securing medical records.
