Healthcare Providers must be concerned with the protection and storage of health information when closing a medical practice.
Medical Records may be archived with a reputable commercial storage firm such as Time Document Storage. Before records are transferred to storage, patients should be notified. Patients may be notified of the opportunity to obtain copies by publishing a series of notices in the local newspaper or direct mail notice.
Time Document Storage understands the requirements for privacy, maintaining the confidentiality of their health information, protect the integrity of the information, and assure its availability of the information for continuing care.
Liability Issues
Since a healthcare provider remains liable for accidental or incidental disclosure of health information during or after the closure of a practice choosing the right record storage company is important. Time Document Storage is HIPAA compliant and will protect the integrity and confidentiality of the information we store while assuring access for continued patient care.
To minimize storage costs, Time Document Storage will assist with the shredding of records that are past the period of required retention. We suggest that you also contact your malpractice insurance carrier to receive written advise of retention periods so coverage will not be compromised. Your malpractice insurance carrier may need access to patient records after the closure of a practice.
Physicians closing their practices may wish to contact the American Medical Association and their state licensure board for guidance for retention periods.
Medicare Requirements
Medicare requires records be kept in their original or legally reproduced form for at least five years from the date of the settlement of the claim to comply with the Medicare Conditions of Participation.
Legal advise is also recommended to determine the appropriate retention periods and assure compliance with state laws and regulatory agencies
New York
Retirement/death of physician and/or sale of practice:
New Jersey
Before closing, the hospital's governing authority must submit a plan for record storage and service to the Department of Health.
When TIME RECORD STORGE is appointed legal custodian for the storage and transfer of records for a newly closing medical practice, we offer: