If you are in the midst of moving house, you are likely to already be aware of the fact that there are a great many details that you have to deal with in addition to having your possessions moved from one place to another. If your relocation is to another city or even to another state, you will need to transfer several important documents; one of these will be your medical records.
In any situation, knowing what you can expect and how things work is something that makes you much more at ease. When it comes to making a long distance move, it is definitely a good thing to have this secure feeling.
The first thing that you need to do is to become familiar with HIPAA, otherwise known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This will make you au fait with all of the rights that you have as a patient. The act was designed to create a national standard for dealing with the electronic transfer of data relating to health.
Although a written request to have access to your medical records is not required by HIPAA, it can be by some doctors; ask your medical provider for the form. This is something that should be handled at least one month prior to moving, as it can often take about 30 days. While moving is always stressful, getting ahead of the game when it comes to the transferring of important records for city to city or state to state moves will cut down on this stress considerably.
Lance Grooms
