Medical Records

Our goal is to give you timely access to your health information in an accurate and secure fashion.

How do I get a copy of my records?

We at Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan are committed to managing your medical records in a safe and secure manner. Our staff is committed to keeping your Protected Health Information private while providing you with the ability to manage your healthcare.

  • As a free customer service, you may request a copy of your records through the Patient Portal.
  • All other methods of records release require the patient to complete the Medical Record Release Form and Instructions completely. If not complete, the form may be sent back to you.
  • Cost of Retrieving your Medical Record
    • We bill for a copy of medical records in accordance with Michigan law. Once your request is received, you will receive an invoice for the anticipated cost of retrieving your record. Please include your email address on the above form as this will expedite this process. We will email you an invoice.
  • Getting your Records will take a few Days
    • After you submit your Form, you can expect to receive your records within 7-10 business days. Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan contracts with a professional 3rd party service that specializes in protecting your health information: DataFile Technologies.
  • If you have questions concerning the status of your request, you can follow this link and fill out their records status inquiry form or call (816) 437-9134 to reach a customer service representative.
  • Please allow 10 business days to pass between the time you submit your request and any inquiries as to the status of your record; this will allow for useful and accurate information to be shared with you.

Disability/Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Forms

  • The patient must complete the Disability/FMLA Form Request form completely. If not complete, the form may be sent back to you, which may delay processing time. You will also need to include the form that needs to be completed. Follow the instructions on the form for sections that must be completed by you and your employer.
  • Once our office receives the necessary forms, please wait 7-10 business days for processing. Please ensure that you give yourself plenty of time to receive the records as a rush option is not available on records retrieval for any situation. This is to help ensure the safety of your information.
  • Specific forms can be faxed (616-336-5042), emailed, or dropped off at:

1111 Leffingwell NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

  • There is a charge for the processing of FMLA/Disability forms. For information on charges, please see the form itself or call (816) 437-9134 during regular business hours. Instructions for paying associated charges will be provided to you when you provide Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan with a complete FMLA/Disability form.

How do I request a change to my record?

  • Under the Privacy Rule, an individual has the right to amend protected health information maintained by this office. Amending protected health information does not mean making changes in stored data, although such changes are allowed under HIPAA.
  • Our Notice of Privacy Practices states that we may deny an individual’s request for amendment to protected health information. The notice also states that an individual has the right to submit a disagreement to a denial for a requested amendment. We would then provide a rebuttal to any disagreement with the individual receiving copies of any such denial and/or rebuttal. Requests for amendments to protected health information, denials, disagreements, and rebuttals may be reviewed by the Compliance and Privacy Managers who may elect to have such disagreements reviewed by the Compliance Committee for possible reconsideration.
  • The patient must complete the Request for Amendment form completely. If not complete, the form may be sent back to you, which may delay processing time.
  • If you have any other questions regarding the completion of this authorization, please call 616-459-7101 ext. 1879, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FAQ

How do I get a copy of my medical record?

Please completely fill out our medical records request form and follow the instructions for submission which are located on the form. You can also enroll in our patient portal for easier access. If you have issues accessing the form, please call us at 616-459-7101 ext. 1879.

Why do I have to pay to get a copy of my medical record?

Michigan state law has taken into consideration the substantial cost undertaken by healthcare organizations for the management of medical records. As a result, the state of Michigan allows healthcare organizations to bill patients for copies of their medical records. This is meant to help keep the cost of other healthcare related services down. If you have questions regarding Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan’s policy of billing for records, please contact DataFile Technologies at 816-437-9134, or read this blog post, which answers this question in greater detail.

How do I get you to send a copy of my medical record to an insurance company, employer, healthcare organization, or other third party?

When you complete our medical record release form in its entirety you will be able to indicate who should receive the records and where. As long as the form is complete and compliant your records will be sent where required after processing. In most cases, the 3rd party that you are sending to will also provide you with a HIPAA compliant release authorization form. We will gladly accept this type of form also. You do not have to use our form. We will accept any HIPAA compliant release authorization form.

How can I check the status of a medical record request?

Processing of medical records usually takes between 7-10 business days. We contract with a professional 3rd party service that specializes in protecting your health information, DataFile Technologies. If you submit a request for a medical record and after ten business days have not received the record, you can complete their medical records request status inquiry form, email them atstatus@datafiletechnologies.com, or call 816-437-9134 8:00am to 5pm CST.