U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., introduced a bill on Oct. 16 that would require healthcare providers to allow patients access to their medical records once a year at no cost.
The Medical Records Access Fairness Act targets unnecessary financial burdens that patients face when they need to request their health records, according to the news release. Depending on the fees associated with medical record copies, patients with long medical histories can rack up thousands of dollars in charges.
"These fees can quickly become prohibitive, especially for patients with chronic diseases or complex medical histories," said Mr. Foster, according to the news release.
The legislation has received support from the Chronic Disease Coalition, National MS Society, National Organization for Rare Disorders, American Cancer Society Action Network and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.