1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; removing the cost of obtaining 
  1.3             health records when applying for a disability benefits 
  1.4             program; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.5             144.335, subdivision 5. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 144.335, 
  1.8   subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 5.  [COSTS.] (a) When a patient requests a copy of 
  1.10  the patient's record for purposes of reviewing current medical 
  1.11  care, the provider must not charge a fee.  
  1.12     (b) When a provider or its representative makes copies of 
  1.13  patient records upon a patient's request under this section, the 
  1.14  provider or its representative may charge the patient or the 
  1.15  patient's representative no more than 75 cents per page, plus 
  1.16  $10 for time spent retrieving and copying the records, unless 
  1.17  other law or a rule or contract provide for a lower maximum 
  1.18  charge.  This limitation does not apply to x-rays.  The provider 
  1.19  may charge a patient no more than the actual cost of reproducing 
  1.20  X-rays, plus no more than $10 for the time spent retrieving and 
  1.21  copying the x-rays. 
  1.22     (c) The respective maximum charges of 75 cents per page and 
  1.23  $10 for time provided in this subdivision are in effect for 
  1.24  calendar year 1992 and may be adjusted annually each calendar 
  1.25  year as provided in this subdivision.  The permissible maximum 
  2.1   charges shall change each year by an amount that reflects the 
  2.2   change, as compared to the previous year, in the consumer price 
  2.3   index for all urban consumers, Minneapolis-St. Paul (CPI-U), 
  2.4   published by the department of labor. 
  2.5      (d) A provider or its representative must not charge a fee 
  2.6   to make copies of a patient's records if the patient or the 
  2.7   patient's representative requests a copy of the records for 
  2.8   purposes of applying or completing an application for a social 
  2.9   security income or a social security disability benefits program 
  2.10  under title II or XVI of the Social Security Act.