How much do medical records cost?

In Ontario there are a few guidelines on what is a fair amount to charge for the release of medical records from healthcare providers (hospitals, clinics, etc.). Sometimes those fees aren't made completely clear during the process. We've put together a short guide for you to understand what guidelines have been put in place. NOTE: THE BELOW FEES ARE ONLY RECOMMENDATIONS AND ARE NOT REGULATED AMOUNTS.

For requests made by patients, substitute decision makers or personal injury lawyers:

An administrative fee of $30.00 shall apply to all of the above listed requestors. This includes an initial set amount for photocopying and/or printing of a record and shall include pages 1 - 20. This fee may also be charged when a search does not yield a return of a patient’s record.

HST will be applied to all release of information requests for Canadian customers.

The fee amount that may be charged to an individual shall not exceed $30.00 for any of the following;

1. Receipt and clarification, if necessary, of a request for a record.
2. Providing an estimate.
3. Locating and retrieving.
4. Reviewing of a record for not more than 15 minutes.
5. Preparation of a response letter to an individual.
6. Preparation of a record for photocopying, printing or electronic transmission.
7. Packaging of the photocopied or printed copy of the record for shipping or faxing.
8. If electronically stored, transmitting a copy of the electronic record instead of printing a copy.
9. Supervising an individual during examination of original record for not more than 15 minutes.

The following additional fees may be charged on top of the $30.00 fee as indicated above:

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Additional Fees:

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** The enclosed fee schedule is an interpretation of the IPC recommendations which can be found in full here. The interpretations are provided by UHN and the Toronto Central LHIN.

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