Substitute Senate Bill No. 1211
         Substitute Senate Bill No. 1211

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-216


AN  ACT  CONCERNING  FEES FOR RETRIEVAL OF PATIENT
MEDICAL RECORDS.


    Be it enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section 19a-490b of  the  general  statutes is
repealed and the  following is substituted in lieu
thereof:
    (a) Upon the written request of a patient, his
attorney or authorized representative, or pursuant
to  a  written   authorization,   an   institution
licensed pursuant to this chapter shall furnish to
the person making  such  request  a  copy  of  the
patient's health record, including but not limited
to,   copies   of   bills,   laboratory   reports,
prescriptions and other technical information used
in assessing the  patient's  health  condition. No
such institution shall charge more than sixty-five
cents  per  page,  including  any  research  fees,
CLERICAL FEES, handling fees or related costs, and
the cost of  first  class  postage, if applicable,
for furnishing a  health  record  pursuant to this
subsection, except such  an institution may charge
the  amount  necessary   to   cover  its  cost  of
materials for furnishing a copy of an x-ray.
    (b) No institution  licensed  pursuant to this
chapter  shall  charge  for  furnishing  a  health
record or part  thereof to a patient, his attorney
or [authorized representative]  CONSERVATOR if the
record  or  part  thereof  is  necessary  for  the
purpose of supporting  a claim or appeal under any
provision  of the  Social  Security  Act  and  the
request  for  the   records   is   accompanied  by
documentation  of  the   claim   or   appeal.   An
institution  shall furnish  the  requested  record
within thirty days  of  the  request,  unless  the
request was received  in  less  than  thirty  days
subsequent to the date the patient was discharged,
in which case  the  institution  shall furnish the
requested record upon its completion.
    (c) Each institution licensed pursuant to this
chapter shall maintain  information regarding each
patient's  status as  a  veteran,  as  defined  in
subsection (a) of section 27-103. Said information
shall be made available, upon request, to any duly
authorized  representative of  the  Department  of
Veterans' Affairs.
    (d)  NO INSTITUTION  MAY  DENY  A  PERSON  THE
RECORDS AVAILABLE UNDER  SUBSECTION  (a)  OF  THIS
SECTION BECAUSE OF  THE  PERSON'S INABILITY TO PAY
THE REQUIRED FEES.  AN  AFFIDAVIT FROM SUCH PERSON
ATTESTING TO AN  INABILITY  TO PAY SUCH FEES SHALL
BE PRESUMPTIVE EVIDENCE THEREOF.

Approved June 24, 1997