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Free Access to Medical Records: Limiting Provider Fees for Patients.

This bill amends the HITECH Act to ensure individuals can generally obtain a copy of their protected health information (PHI) from healthcare providers at no cost. Fees are only permitted under specific, limited circumstances, such as requesting a duplicate copy within the same year or opting for a paper copy when a free electronic version is available online. This change aims to reduce financial barriers for citizens managing their health data.
Key points
Healthcare providers must generally give individuals a copy of their medical records (PHI) free of charge.
Fees can only be charged for duplicate requests within the same calendar year or for non-electronic copies if a free online version exists.
The free access requirement does not extend to copies requested by the individual's attorney.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Medical Records Access Fairness Act of 2024
Print number: HR 8964
Sponsor: Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11]
Process start date: 2024-07-09
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025
Source data: api.congress.gov
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Summary & Status

Key Questions about Free Access to Medical Records: Limiting Provider Fees for Patients.

A structured overview of the legislative process, official sources, status and civic context.

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is HR 8964.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the House of Representatives.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2024-07-09.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Healthcare providers must generally give individuals a copy of their medical records (PHI) free of charge.
  • Fees can only be charged for duplicate requests within the same calendar year or for non-electronic copies if a free online version exists.
  • The free access requirement does not extend to copies requested by the individual's attorney.

What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-25.

Analysis and Potential Impact of HR 8964

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge. Review our public AI processing logs for full transparency, and use Lustra to track active legislation for instant status push notifications.

CATEGORIES

Health