How Much Should I Charge for Client Records?

When it comes to answering the question “How much should I charge for Client Records?” there are several factors that you need to consider.

First and foremost, every therapist has to remember that under no circumstance should you release a copy of anything contained within a client’s record without either the expressed written consent of the client OR an order from the court. You can find an example of a client record release form here – by all means feel free to adapt this document for your own use.

The first thing to consider when it comes to what you can or should charge for the release of a copy of the client record is who is requesting the copy.

If the copy is being requested by a health insurance company for verification of treatment received by a client for the purposes of adjudication of an insurance claim, then, in accordance with item 10 of CMMOTA’s Client Records, Charting, and Treatment Notes Policy the record must be provided without charge once you have received a copy of the consent provided by the client to release their information.

If the copy is being requested by the client, a reasonable fee may be charged. Likewise, if the copy is being requested by a representative (e.g. lawyer) of the client, or by another party which has either written consent or court order, a reasonable fee may be charged.

The second thing to consider is how many pages you will need to copy or scan, and the amount of time that it will take.

Now, what is meant by a reasonable fee. Typically, this means that you are charging a cost for copying the file. You must always retain the original record. All you ever provide is a copy of the record. This means that you will be printing or scanning the record in digital form to send to whomever it is that makes the request. A reasonable fee would be a fee per page. Many therapists will charge a cost of $1 per page if they are providing a physical (paper) copy. This would be a reasonable fee. Many will also set a minimum charge within their clinic policy as well. Reasonably this would be set at the equivalent of a ¼ hour of treatment time.

The key in setting a fee is to do it well before you are faced with having to provide a copy of records, AND have it in writing so that you are not left scrambling if and when a request comes.

Also remember to keep a copy of the consent document provided to you which allows for the release of a copy of the file in the client file. This will ensure that you are covered if you were ever accused of releasing a client’s confidential information.