Bill Text: NJ A4018 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires certain physicians to provide certain patients written notification explaining how to obtain medical records.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-05-04 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee [A4018 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A4018-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain physicians to provide certain patients written notification explaining how to obtain medical records.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning medical records and supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, "physician" means a physician licensed pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.
b. A physician, who anticipates the cessation of the operations of his or her practice for more than three months, shall provide written notification to all patients whom the physician has treated in the previous seven years detailing the procedure by which the patients may obtain any medical records which the physician is required to maintain under applicable provisions of law.
2. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires certain physicians to provide certain patients written notification explaining how to obtain medical records.
Under the bill, a physician, who anticipates the cessation of the operations of his or her practice for more than three months, is to provide written notification to all patients whom the physician has treated in the previous seven years detailing the procedure by which the patients may obtain any medical records which the physician is required to maintain under applicable provisions of law.
There is a growing number of reports of patients who are unable to retrieve medical records due to the closure of their physician's practice. It is the sponsor's intent that there be a procedure in place for patients to retrieve their medical records in the event of the closure of their physician's practice.
