Westland, MI asked in Health Care Law and Social Security for Iowa

Q: I received a large bill for copies of medical records. I asked for a detailed invoice to explain the charges. No answer

While applying for SSI/SSDI, I asked my old psychotherapist to send in a copy of my "diagnosis"/"medical records". Later, I received a bill. It seemed really, really high, so I checked the laws (I saw her in VA, I now live in MI, she now works in IA). All of them say that she can bill me for "the cost of producing copies and delivery charges", that's it. Looking at the number again, it still seemed pretty high. So, I asked her for a detailed invoice, which she agreed to do. I never received the invoice. I called and left messages, but have not heard from her in over 4 months. So, what should I do? Do I pay or wait?

1 Lawyer Answer
Peter N. Munsing
Peter N. Munsing

A: Assuming you think you may need her for Social Security hearing, doesn't make sense to get into it with her. Most therapists if they aren't in a big practice don't have someone who copies things, so they either have to hire someone or do it themselves. If it were a hospital or other situaition there are different arguments that don't apply here.


