Editor's Note: The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) specifies that fees regarding the transfer of medical records must be reasonable and cost-based. These fees could include costs for copying, labor and postage.

Nov. 16, 2004

Aspen Medical Care and state medical board

In response to Mikhail Shashkov's letter on Aspen Medical Care, I checked with the state medical board and they said a doctor can charge anything they want for copies for medical records. It's legal but is questionable from an ethical standpoint, in my opinion. Just think about it; 8,000+ patients at $50 a pop could mean more than $400,000 for Dr. Toevs' coffers. Its either highway robbery or a hostage situation.

--Allen Schmiedicke