Committee advances bill to allow free copy of medical records for Social Security disability applicants to amending order

Sen. Doug Ricks, sponsor of Senate Bill 10 87, told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee the measure would allow applicants for Social Security disability benefits to obtain one free copy of their medical records for use in disability appeals.

Sen. Ricks said the bill is a narrower version of legislation considered last year and is focused strictly on records requests made in support of Social Security disability applications. "This bill deals strictly with medical records and getting a copy of those strictly for social security disability purposes," he said.

The bill would require providers to furnish one copy in an electronic format if available; if not available electronically, a paper copy may be provided. It exempts small provider offices under a 50‑employee threshold. Sen. Ricks told the committee hospitals typically contract with third‑party vendors that have charged per‑page fees, and he cited examples of fees of about $1.24 per page for large paper requests. "In a lot of cases, some of those have been charging a dollar 24 per page," Ricks said.

Kate Haas, representing Kestrel West and speaking on behalf of the Association of Health Information Outsourcing Services, said the sponsor's recent changes and the addition of a requirement that claim support be "documented" made the trade association comfortable enough to support sending the bill to the amending order. "Senator Ricks has made some very significant changes to the bill," Haas said, and she asked the committee to send it to the fourteenth order for possible amendment.

Sen. Zagerfeld asked that the bill explicitly require applicants to submit documentary evidence of a qualified claim; Sen. Ricks agreed to seek that technical change in the fourteenth order. Committee members clarified that federal law generally requires providers to furnish records at a reasonable cost when fulfilled in‑house, and witnesses said the primary cost driver is third‑party vendor charges when hospitals use outsourcing firms.

Action: The committee voted to send Senate Bill 10 87 to the fourteenth order of business for possible amendments. The chair called the question and members answered "aye"; no opposition was recorded at the meeting.

What this means: The bill will be eligible for consideration with technical amendments and drafting in the amending order; proponents and the trade association signaled they had reached a working compromise over language requiring a documented claim and an electronic copy if available.

Speakers quoted in this article came from the meeting record and testimony provided to the committee.