List of Forms and Contact Details Required to Request Medical Records in Georgia (PI Lawyers' Checklist)

Table of contents

Get Blog Updates for In-Depth Resource Knowledge

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Most personal injury attorneys spend weeks chasing medical records through dozens of phone calls, faxes, and follow-ups—when complete documentation could be organized and delivered in a fraction of that time. This comprehensive checklist provides the specific authorization forms, healthcare system contacts, fee schedules, and strategic procedures Georgia personal injury lawyers need to retrieve complete medical records efficiently—plus how platforms like Codes Health reduce turnaround to 10-12 days with AI-powered error prevention and automated provider follow-ups.

Key Takeaways

Georgia law mandates providers deliver records within 30 days of receiving a proper request (O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2). Providers may condition delivery on payment of allowable fees (O.C.G.A. § 31-33-3(a))—but manual processes often take much longer
HIPAA-compliant authorization forms with specific Georgia elements are required for all third-party requests, with incomplete authorizations being the #1 cause of provider rejections
Georgia's largest health systems—Piedmont, Wellstar, and Emory—each have specific contact procedures that expedite processing
Maximum fees under Georgia law: $25.88 search/retrieval, $9.70 certification, and tiered per-page rates reaching $0.66-$0.97 depending on volume
Electronic submission methods through provider portals cut turnaround time significantly compared to traditional mail and fax
Codes Health's AI-powered platform delivers organized records in 10-12 days with proactive error checking, daily provider follow-ups, and automatic chronological organization
Same-day services typically deliver incomplete packets and require client involvement, driving churn

1. Georgia Medical Records Request Requirements: What Personal Injury Lawyers Must Know

Georgia operates under a clear legal framework that establishes both your rights to access medical records and the provider's obligations to deliver them promptly. Understanding these requirements prevents delays and provides legal leverage when providers don't comply.

The 30-day mandate: Under Georgia Code § 31-33-2, healthcare providers having custody and control of patient records must furnish a complete and current copy within 30 days of receipt of a proper request. This applies to all record types including evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, laboratory reports, and biopsy slides.

Who can request records: Georgia law permits access to medical records by:

The patient themselves (or their authorized representative)
Legal representatives with proper authorization
Attorneys representing patients in legal proceedings with signed HIPAA authorization
Healthcare providers for continuation of care
Executors or administrators for deceased patients' estates

What providers must retain: Record retention requirements vary by provider type and patient age. Hospitals must retain patient medical records for at least five (5) years after discharge (and for minors, five years past the age of majority), while some providers must retain specific items (e.g., evaluations, diagnoses, laboratory reports, biopsy slides) for ten (10) years. Refer to Georgia Composite Medical Board rules for physicians and DCH licensing regulations for hospitals.

Required documentation: Every request must include written authorization complying with HIPAA standards plus any additional signed written authorization specified in Georgia statutes. Providers can legally withhold records until they receive both proper authorization and agreed-upon fees.

The reality gap: Despite the 30-day statutory maximum, many PI lawyers report actual turnaround times stretching far longer through traditional manual retrieval methods. Providers often claim processing backlogs, request clarifications, or simply fail to prioritize attorney requests. This is where 10-12 day delivery from Codes Health becomes transformative—their AI-powered platform proactively catches authorization errors before submission, maintains daily automated follow-ups with providers, and provides real-time tracking that keeps requests moving forward.

2. Essential Forms for Medical Records Requests in Georgia Personal Injury Cases

Every medical records request requires properly executed authorization, but the forms you use and how you complete them directly determine whether providers respond quickly or reject your request entirely.

HIPAA Authorization Form: The foundation of any third-party medical records request is a HIPAA-compliant authorization under 45 CFR 164.508. This federal requirement establishes the minimum standards all states must follow. Download Georgia's standardized template from Georgia DPH.

Essential elements every authorization must include:

Patient identifying information: Full legal name (including any maiden names), date of birth, current address, Social Security number (recommended for accuracy)
Provider information: Complete name and address of the healthcare facility or physician from whom records are being requested
Authorized recipient: Your law firm's name, address, and contact information
Specific information to be disclosed: List exact record types needed (treatment notes, diagnostic reports, lab results, imaging reports, billing records, prescriptions)
Date range: Specific treatment dates or "all records from [start date] to [end date]"
Purpose of disclosure: "Legal representation" or "Personal injury litigation"
Expiration date: Either specific date or event (e.g., "upon resolution of legal claim")
Patient signature and date: Must be original signature (wet signature) unless provider accepts electronic signatures
Representative authorization: If signing on behalf of patient, include documentation of legal authority (power of attorney, guardianship papers, executor documentation)

Special authorizations for sensitive records: Special authorizations apply to particularly sensitive records:

Psychotherapy notes require separate HIPAA authorization under 45 CFR 164.508(a)(2)
Substance use disorder treatment records require specific consent under 42 CFR Part 2
HIV test results are protected under O.C.G.A. § 31-22-9.1 and require specific patient consent
General medical record authorizations cannot release these categories without explicit patient consent for each type

Common form errors causing rejections:

Missing or unclear expiration dates
Unsigned or undated forms
Unchecked boxes for sensitive record categories
Expired authorizations (patient signed more than 1-2 years ago)
Illegible patient signatures
Missing photo ID copies
Incorrect patient demographic information (misspelled names, wrong DOB)
Vague record requests without specific date ranges

The #1 rejection culprit: Incomplete authorizations are the leading cause of denied requests. Missing patient signatures, unclear expiration dates, or unchecked boxes for sensitive records will restart your entire timeline. AI review system from Codes Health catches these errors before submission—automatically flagging misspellings, missing dates of service, absent wet signatures, and signature issues that would otherwise cause provider rejections and add weeks to your retrieval process.

E-signature considerations: Many Georgia providers now accept electronic signatures through platforms like DocuSign, Adobe Sign, or similar HIPAA-compliant e-signature systems. Codes Health operates a HIPAA-compliant e-signature platform for intake documents including release of information requests, eliminating the delays and errors associated with physical signature collection while maintaining full legal validity.

3. How to Find and Contact Medical Providers for Record Retrieval

Identifying every provider who treated your client represents a critical challenge, particularly for cases involving multiple facilities, emergency treatments, or years of medical history. Missing even one provider can create gaps that weaken your case or surface during trial as devastating surprises.

Client intake questionnaire strategies: Begin with a comprehensive provider discovery process during initial client meetings:

Primary care physicians: Current and all previous PCPs within relevant timeframe
Specialists: Orthopedics, neurology, pain management, physical therapy, chiropractors
Emergency and urgent care: All ER visits, urgent care centers, walk-in clinics
Hospitals: Inpatient admissions, outpatient procedures, imaging centers
Mental health providers: Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors (if relevant to damages)
Pharmacies: All locations where client filled prescriptions
Alternative medicine: Acupuncture, massage therapy, other treatment modalities

Document review for provider discovery: Examine all documents clients bring to identify additional providers:

Insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) showing claims submitted
Medical bills and billing statements listing facility names and provider NPIs
Prescription bottles showing prescribing physician names
Referral paperwork mentioning specialist names
Discharge summaries listing follow-up providers
Radiology reports showing ordering physicians

Online provider lookup resources:

National Provider Identifier (NPI) Registry: npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov allows searching by provider name, specialty, or location to verify current contact information
Georgia hospital system websites: Most major health systems maintain online directories of affiliated physicians and facilities
State licensing boards: Georgia Composite Medical Board provides physician lookup tools

Tracking down closed or merged facilities: Medical practice consolidation creates significant challenges when providers have closed, merged, or been acquired:

Contact the Georgia Medical Board for physician practice closure notifications
Search for successor entities that may have acquired patient records
Check with professional liability insurance carriers (they often track closed practices)
Review Georgia's largest hospital systems to identify merger and acquisition activity

The complexity multiplier: A typical car accident case might involve 5-10 providers; a catastrophic injury could require records from 30+ sources across different specialties and facilities. Manually tracking down contact information, verifying addresses, and managing dozens of individual requests becomes overwhelming quickly.

This is precisely where Codes Health's retrieval service delivers maximum value. The platform employs proprietary databases to locate patients' previous providers, particularly important for cases involving multiple treatment facilities or years of medical history. Rather than spending hours researching provider contacts, submit your client's information once and let the system identify and contact all relevant sources automatically.

4. Georgia Hospital Systems and Major Healthcare Provider Contact Information

Georgia's healthcare landscape is dominated by large integrated delivery networks that control significant market share. Understanding how to navigate these systems efficiently accelerates your record retrieval process.

Piedmont Healthcare

Georgia's largest healthcare system operates 20 affiliated hospitals with 3,446 staffed beds and $5.6 billion revenue as of July 2024.

System-Wide Medical Records Contact:

Phone: Contact individual facility HIM departments directly
Online: piedmont.org for facility-specific contact information

Key Atlanta-Area Facilities:

Piedmont Atlanta Hospital: 404-605-5000
Piedmont Fayette Hospital: 770-719-7000
Piedmont Henry Hospital: 678-604-1000

Request submission: Piedmont facilities generally accept fax, mail, and online portal submissions. Contact individual facility HIM departments for specific procedures and portal access information.

Wellstar Health System)

Georgia's second-largest system operates 14 hospitals with 2,656 staffed beds throughout metro Atlanta and northwest Georgia as of July 2024.

Central Medical Records Information:

Main: wellstar.org/medical-records
System Phone: 770-792-5012

Major Facilities:

WellStar Kennestone Hospital (Marietta): 770-793-5000
WellStar Cobb Hospital: 770-732-4000
WellStar Douglas Hospital: 770-949-1500

Electronic requests: Wellstar provides online request portals through individual facility websites. Navigate to specific facility pages for medical records request forms and submission instructions.

Emory Healthcare

Operating 11 hospitals with 2,375 staffed beds, Emory Healthcare serves metro Atlanta with academic medical center resources as of July 2024.

Medical Records Central Contact:

Website: emoryhealthcare.org/patients-visitors/medical-records
Online Portal: Available through Emory website with identity verification

Submission instructions: Contact Emory's medical records page for facility-specific submission instructions.

Centralized processing locations: Some Emory facilities process records for multiple locations. For example, Emory Decatur Hospital HIM Department handles requests for Emory Hillandale and Emory Long-Term Acute Care facilities.

Submission methods accepted:

Online portal with driver's license verification
Email to facility-specific HIM departments
Fax to facility-specific HIM departments
Mail to individual facility addresses
In-person at HIM department locations

Browser requirements: Emory emphasizes using Chrome, Safari, or Firefox for optimal online portal functionality.

Grady Health System

Atlanta's safety-net hospital system serving a large patient population, particularly trauma and emergency cases relevant to PI work.

Medical Records Contact Information:

Website: gradyhealth.org/medical-records
Online Portal: Available with identity verification
Main Phone: 404-616-1000

Electronic delivery option: When patients request their own records under HIPAA's Right of Access, Grady may offer a flat-fee electronic delivery option. Attorney third-party requests are subject to Georgia's DCH maximum rates.

MyChart patient portal: Patients can access their own records through Grady's MyChart system, then forward to your firm for faster processing.

Submission methods:

Online request portal with driver's license photo upload
MyChart patient portal (patient-initiated)
Fax with completed authorization and photo ID
Mail to HIM department
In-person at medical records office

Regional and Specialty Facilities

Beyond the major systems, Georgia has 192+ healthcare facilities throughout the state. For PI cases involving clients from outside metro Atlanta or specialty care facilities, research individual facility contact information through:

Facility websites (search "[Hospital Name] medical records request")
Direct phone calls to main numbers requesting HIM department contact
Professional retrieval service databases with comprehensive provider contacts

The contact management burden: Managing contact information for dozens of providers across multiple cases, tracking which facilities accept email versus fax, remembering facility-specific submission requirements, and maintaining current HIM department phone numbers consumes substantial administrative resources. Codes Health's centralized platform eliminates this burden—submit all requests through one interface regardless of provider, and the system handles facility-specific routing, contact management, and submission method optimization automatically.

5. Cost Management: Georgia Medical Records Fees and Fee Schedules

Georgia law establishes specific maximum fees that providers can charge for medical records, creating predictable cost structures when you understand the regulations. However, the tiered pricing system means costs escalate quickly for voluminous records.

Georgia's regulated fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025):

Search, retrieval, and administrative costs: Maximum $25.88 per record request (applies regardless of page count)

Certification fees: Up to $9.70 per record for custodian of records affidavits needed for trial admissibility

Per-page charges for paper copies:

Pages 1-20: $0.97 per page = $19.40 for first 20 pages
Pages 21-100: $0.83 per page = $66.40 for 80 additional pages
Pages 101+: $0.66 per page for all subsequent pages

Example cost calculations:

50-page record: $25.88 (search) + $9.70 (certification) + $19.40 (first 20 pages) + $24.90 (pages 21-50) = $79.88
100-page record: $25.88 + $9.70 + $19.40 + $66.40 (pages 21-100) = $121.38
200-page record: $25.88 + $9.70 + $19.40 + $66.40 + $66.00 (pages 101-200) = $187.38
500-page record: $25.88 + $9.70 + $19.40 + $66.40 + $264.00 (pages 101-500) = $385.38

Annual cost adjustments: The Georgia Department of Community Health adjusts these rates every July 1st based on the medical component of the Consumer Price Index. Fees have increased substantially from previous years (search fees rose from $20.00 in 2018 to $25.88 in 2025—a 29.4% increase).

Important fee distinctions:

State maximum rates apply to third-party requests: When your law firm requests records on behalf of a client, providers can charge up to the state maximum rates listed above.

HIPAA rates for patient self-requests: When individuals request their own records for personal use, HIPAA's lower fee limitations may apply instead of state maximums. This creates a potential cost-saving strategy where clients request their own records then provide them to your firm, though this approach adds time and coordination complexity.

Provider-to-provider transfers: Many providers do not charge fees when transferring records to another healthcare provider for treatment purposes, though practices vary. HIPAA's Right of Access fee limits apply only to patient requests, not provider-to-provider disclosures.

Additional allowable charges:

Actual postage and shipping costs

Fee prepayment requirements: Georgia law permits providers to require prepayment of estimated fees before processing requests. This means you'll often need to submit checks with initial requests or obtain fee estimates first, then pay, then have processing begin—adding days to the timeline.

Cost management strategies for PI practices:

Request electronic copies when available (some providers charge flat fees for digital records regardless of page count)
Include estimated payment with initial requests to avoid processing delays from back-and-forth fee negotiations
Budget appropriately per case: $30-100 per typical provider, but $150-400+ for hospital records with extensive imaging and lab results
Track provider fee patterns to identify facilities that consistently charge maximum rates versus those offering reasonable pricing

Volume practice cost considerations: A PI firm managing 50 active cases with an average of 5 providers each (250 total records requests annually) faces $7,500-$25,000+ in annual medical records costs using traditional retrieval methods paying per-request fees plus provider charges.

Codes Health offers flat-fee pricing that provides cost predictability and potentially significant savings for higher-volume practices, eliminating surprise provider fees and per-request charges while delivering faster, better-organized results.

6. Common Provider Rejection Reasons and Bulletproof Solutions

Provider rejections don't just delay your timeline—they restart the entire process, potentially adding weeks to your retrieval and jeopardizing settlement deadlines or statute of limitations pressures.

Top 8 Rejection Reasons and Prevention Strategies:

#1 - Incomplete authorization forms

Common issues: Missing patient signature or date, unchecked boxes for sensitive record categories, no expiration date specified, unclear scope of information requested
Solution: Use Georgia's standardized form from Georgia DPH, complete every single field, initial all sensitive record sections explicitly, verify signature and date are clearly legible, specify exact expiration date or triggering event

#2 - Missing or inadequate photo ID

Common issues: Blurry or low-quality ID copy, expired driver's license or ID, patient name on ID doesn't match authorization spelling, no ID included at all
Solution: Include high-quality color copy of current government-issued photo ID, verify ID is not expired, ensure name spelling on ID matches authorization exactly (including middle names/initials), if patient legally changed name, include documentation of name change

#3 - Insufficient patient identifying information

Common issues: Common patient names without adequate identifiers (e.g., "John Smith" born "1/1/1980"), missing Social Security number, wrong or missing date of birth, incomplete treatment date information
Solution: Always include full legal name plus any known aliases or maiden names, provide complete date of birth, include Social Security number when available, add specific dates of service or treatment date ranges, include account numbers or medical record numbers if known

#4 - Improper representative authorization

Common issues: Attorney requesting deceased patient's records without death certificate, legal guardian requesting minor's records without guardianship documentation, power of attorney that doesn't specifically authorize medical record access
Solution: For deceased patients, include certified death certificate plus documentation of executor/administrator appointment, for minors, include guardianship or custody documentation, for POA requests, verify POA specifically grants medical record access authority

#5 - Expired or missing authorization expiration

Common issues: Authorization signed more than 1-2 years ago, no expiration date listed, authorization states it expired upon specific event that has already occurred
Solution: Execute fresh authorizations if original is more than 1 year old, include specific expiration date (recommend 1-2 years from signature date), or tie to specific event ("upon resolution of legal claim related to [incident date]")

#6 - Wrong facility or department

Common issues: Request sent to billing department instead of Health Information Management, request sent to clinic when records are at affiliated hospital, facility name changed due to merger/acquisition
Solution: Always address requests to "Health Information Management Department" or "Medical Records Department," verify current facility names and affiliations before submitting, call to confirm correct contact information for complex systems

#7 - Missing fee payment or insufficient fee

Common issues: No payment included with request, check amount doesn't cover estimated costs, provider requires prepayment before processing
Solution: Include estimated payment check with initial request based on Georgia fee schedules, or call provider first to obtain exact fee quote, add note: "If insufficient, please contact for additional payment before proceeding"

#8 - Substance abuse records without special authorization

Common issues: General medical authorization doesn't cover alcohol/drug treatment records protected under 42 CFR Part 2, missing specific consent for substance abuse treatment disclosure
Solution: Use separate specialized authorization form for substance abuse treatment records, ensure form complies with 42 CFR Part 2 requirements, have patient initial specific substance abuse disclosure section

How Codes Health prevents rejections: AI-powered request review catches these errors before submission—automatically flagging misspellings, missing dates of service, wet signature requirements, unchecked authorization boxes, and demographic inconsistencies. This proactive error prevention is critical because provider rejections can add 10-15 days (or more) to manual retrieval processes. By catching errors before transmission, Codes Health enables consistent 10-12 day turnaround versus the 30-90+ day timeline typical when rejections occur.

7. Step-by-Step Medical Records Request Process for Georgia PI Attorneys

A systematic approach to medical records retrieval separates efficient firms from those perpetually chasing missing documentation weeks before settlement conferences or trial.

Week 1: Case Intake and Authorization Execution

Day 1-2: Initial client meeting

Execute HIPAA authorization using Georgia's standardized form immediately
Have client create comprehensive provider list including all treatment sources since incident
Obtain client signature on multiple authorization copies (prepare 10-15 copies minimum)
Collect copies of any medical records, bills, or insurance EOBs client already possesses
Verify all demographic information exactly as it appears on insurance/ID
Photograph or scan client's current photo ID for inclusion with requests
Document all known treatment dates and facility names

Day 3-4: Request preparation and provider research

Create provider tracking spreadsheet: Provider Name | Contact Info | Submission Date | Method | Follow-up Date | Status | Received Date | Issues | Cost
Research current contact information for each provider (verify fax numbers, email addresses, portal availability through facility websites)
Draft individualized request letters specifying exact records needed with date ranges
For each request include: complete patient information, law firm contact details, specific record types requested ("all medical records including office notes, diagnostic reports, lab results, imaging studies and reports, billing records, and prescription records for treatment received between [date] and [date]"), purpose ("legal representation in personal injury matter"), clear expiration date
Calculate estimated fees per provider based on Georgia fee schedules and prepare checks
Set calendar reminders for 7-day follow-up, 15-day follow-up, and 30-day deadline for each provider

Day 5: Batch submission

Submit all requests simultaneously using most efficient method for each provider (electronic portal preferred, then email, then fax, then certified mail)
Document submission date, time, method, and confirmation details in tracking spreadsheet
Save copies of all submissions (PDFs of authorizations, fax confirmations, email delivery receipts, certified mail tracking numbers)
For electronic submissions, save screenshots of successful submission confirmations

Week 2-3: Active Follow-Up and Status Monitoring

Day 7: First follow-up wave

Call each provider that hasn't sent records or confirmation
Confirm receipt of request and ask for processing status and estimated completion date
Document contact person name, direct phone number, and conversation notes
For any identified issues (missing information, wrong facility, etc.), correct and resubmit immediately

Day 15: Second follow-up wave

Email or call providers approaching the 30-day deadline without response
Reference Georgia Code § 31-33-2 requiring response within 30 days
Escalate to supervisor or Health Information Management director if no previous response
For critical cases approaching settlement or statute deadlines, consider formal demand letter

Day 20-28: Records receipt and initial quality control

Open and review each record set immediately upon receipt
Verify records match requested date range and include all record types
Check for obvious gaps, missing billing records, missing imaging CDs, illegible pages
Submit supplemental requests immediately for incomplete deliveries
Begin organizing records chronologically by treatment date

Week 4: Completion and Organization

Day 29-30: Final completeness verification

Cross-reference received records against original provider list
Identify any providers that haven't responded (prepare follow-up or subpoena)
Verify billing records match treatment documentation
Ensure imaging CDs are included, not just radiology reports
Confirm records are certified if needed for trial

The manual process burden: This 30-day best-case timeline assumes no rejections, minimal provider delays, and dedicated staff resources for consistent follow-up. Reality often extends retrieval to 60-90 days when authorization errors cause rejections, providers miss deadlines, or staff members get overwhelmed managing dozens of simultaneous requests across multiple cases.

Codes Health's streamlined alternative: Submit all requests through one centralized interface on Day 1. The AI reviews each request for errors and submits to providers electronically. The system maintains daily automated follow-ups with every provider. You receive real-time status updates without lifting a phone. Organized chronological records arrive in 10-12 days, ready for expert review or demand package preparation. The 18-20 day time savings per case translates to faster settlements, higher case velocity, and dramatically reduced staff burden.

8. Organizing and Reviewing Retrieved Medical Records for Case Development

Receiving medical records represents only half the challenge—organizing thousands of pages into usable formats and identifying case-critical information determines whether records strengthen or weaken your position.

Essential Organization Systems

Chronological master timeline: Plot all treatment encounters across all providers on a single timeline showing:

Date of each visit, procedure, or treatment
Provider name and type (ER, primary care, specialist, PT, etc.)
Chief complaint and symptoms documented
Diagnoses made or updated
Treatment provided
Prescriptions written
Referrals made
Billing charges

This comprehensive timeline visualizes the treatment progression, identifies gaps requiring explanation, and demonstrates injury severity through treatment frequency and intensity.

Provider-specific organization: Maintain separate files for each provider containing all records from that source:

All treatment notes in chronological order
Diagnostic test results and imaging reports
Billing statements and itemized charges
Correspondence and referral documentation

This organization facilitates expert review (many experts prefer to review all records from their specialty area together) and helps track which providers still owe records.

Treatment category indexing: Create separate files grouping similar record types:

Emergency room and hospital admissions
Primary care visits
Orthopedic treatment
Neurology/pain management
Physical therapy and rehabilitation
Mental health treatment
Diagnostic imaging (x-rays, MRIs, CTs)
Laboratory results
Pharmacy and prescription records
Billing and insurance correspondence

This categorical organization accelerates preparation of demand packages, expert review materials, and trial exhibits.

Critical Review for Case-Critical Information

Causation documentation: Track statements linking injuries to incident:

First treatment notes describing mechanism of injury
Temporal connection between incident and symptom onset
Treating physician causation opinions
Progression showing worsening from initial injury
Lack of alternative causation explanations

Pre-existing condition identification: Review records before incident date for:

Similar symptoms or injuries before incident
Chronic conditions potentially aggravated by incident
Prior treatment to same body areas
Baseline functional status before injury

Early identification of pre-existing conditions allows you to develop "aggravation" arguments before defense discovers these issues and weaponizes them.

Damages evidence compilation:

All past medical expenses with itemized billing
Future treatment recommendations from providers
Functional limitations documented in therapy notes
Medication history showing pain management needs
Mental health impact and emotional distress treatment
Lost work time documented in treatment notes
Lifestyle limitations and activity restrictions

Gap and inconsistency analysis:

Treatment gaps (periods with no medical care despite ongoing complaints)
Missed appointments that defense will highlight
Inconsistent symptom reporting between providers
Work status inconsistencies (working while claiming disability)
Activity inconsistencies (patient doing activities they claim they cannot)

Identifying these issues early allows you to develop explanations and prepare clients for deposition questions rather than being blindsided at trial.

Technology-Enabled Analysis

The manual review burden for complex cases becomes overwhelming quickly. A catastrophic injury case might involve 10,000+ pages across 30+ providers. Reviewing, indexing, and extracting key information from such voluminous records can consume 40+ hours of attorney or paralegal time.

AI-powered case chronologies from Codes Health automatically organize and summarize records chronologically, grouping all patient encounters by visit with AI-generated summaries. The platform's insights extraction engine identifies buried diagnoses, breaches of care, future medical expenses supported by documentation, and hidden case facts like missed appointments or pre-existing conditions—transforming weeks of manual review into automated analysis that surfaces the information that matters most.

9. Ensuring Complete Records: Pre-Trial Medical Record Review Checklist

Incomplete medical records discovered during trial preparation—or worse, during trial itself—can devastate case value and settlement negotiations. A systematic completeness verification process prevents these disasters.

Cross-referencing verification:

Match billing to treatment notes: Every billing charge should have corresponding treatment documentation. Missing treatment notes for billed services suggests incomplete records.
Verify imaging completeness: Radiology reports reference specific imaging studies. Ensure you have actual imaging CDs, not just written reports.
Confirm lab results: Treatment notes often reference lab work ordered. Verify all lab results are included.
Check pharmacy records: Prescriptions written in treatment notes should match pharmacy dispensing records.
Validate specialist consultations: Referrals documented in primary care notes should have corresponding specialist records.

Common record gaps requiring supplemental requests:

Billing records received without corresponding treatment documentation
Emergency department visits shown in billing but ER records not included
Ambulance run reports for transported patients
Radiology and imaging CDs (facilities often send reports without actual images)
Physical therapy session notes (often summarized rather than individual session documentation)
Mental health counseling session notes
Hospital discharge summaries and transfer records
Operative reports for surgical procedures (should include pre-op, intra-op, and post-op notes)

Provider completeness certification: For high-value cases or when records seem suspiciously sparse, request a custodian of records affidavit certifying that all records have been produced. This legal certification (available for the $9.70 maximum fee in Georgia) creates accountability and may motivate more thorough record searches.

Timeline gap analysis: Create a visual timeline showing:

Documented treatment dates
Gaps of more than 30 days between treatments
Billing charges indicating treatment on dates with no corresponding notes
Referrals made but no subsequent treatment documented

Unexplained gaps may indicate missing records from additional providers you haven't yet identified.

The Missing Record Review solution: Missing Record Review from Codes Health cross-references patient medical history against received records to identify gaps in collection before trial. The AI system compares treatment notes mentioning other providers, referrals, imaging studies, or procedures against the actual records delivered, flagging missing documentation that requires supplemental requests. This automated completeness verification provides assurance that your medical record collection is truly complete rather than simply "what you received."

General AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) are not reliable for clinical document interpretation. Built by an MIT-educated engineering team, Codes Health continuously ships new workflows and product enhancements for legal and healthcare professionals.

10. Accessing Old Medical Records from Childhood and Closed Facilities in Georgia

Personal injury cases sometimes require accessing historical medical records from decades ago or from healthcare facilities that have closed, merged, or been acquired—creating unique retrieval challenges.

Georgia's record retention requirements: Record retention requirements vary by provider type and patient age. Physicians and healthcare facilities typically maintain adult patient records for at least 10 years, with longer retention periods for minors. Refer to Georgia Composite Medical Board rules for physicians and DCH licensing regulations for hospitals.

Childhood records for adult clients: Medical history from childhood becomes relevant for:

Birth injury cases (now adult plaintiffs)
Long-term impacts from childhood accidents
Pre-existing condition documentation
Developmental history relevant to cognitive injuries

Strategies for locating old records:

Contact the healthcare facility where treatment occurred (even if under different ownership, records may have transferred to successor entity)
Search for practice acquisition or merger announcements
Contact the Georgia Composite Medical Board for physician practice closure notifications and successor information
Check with the Georgia Department of Public Health for hospital closure records
Contact professional liability insurance carriers (they often maintain information about closed practices they covered)

Closed practice procedures: When physician practices close, Georgia law requires proper record disposition. Records are typically:

Transferred to a successor physician or practice
Transferred to a commercial records storage facility
Made available to patients through public notice for retrieval before destruction

Microfilm and legacy storage: Older records may exist only in microfilm, microfiche, or other legacy formats. Retrieval from these sources typically incurs higher costs and longer processing times.

Alternative record sources when originals unavailable:

Insurance company claim files (EOBs and claim documentation)
Pharmacy records (often retained longer than medical records)
School health records
Military medical records (via Veterans Affairs)
Other healthcare providers who received records via referral or consultation

While Codes Health's platform excels at current record retrieval, these historical and closed-facility scenarios may require traditional detective work supplemented by the platform's provider database resources for tracking successor entities.

For high-volume firms, Codes Health builds custom integrations with CRM platforms and medical software

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do Georgia healthcare providers have to respond to medical records requests?

Georgia law requires providers to furnish complete medical records within 30 days of receiving a proper written authorization and agreed-upon fees under Georgia Code § 31-33-2. This applies to all healthcare providers having custody and control of patient records. However, actual turnaround times through traditional manual methods often extend much longer due to provider delays, authorization errors, and follow-up gaps.

What information must be included on a HIPAA authorization form in Georgia?

A valid HIPAA authorization for medical records in Georgia must include: patient's full name, date of birth, and address; provider name and contact information; authorized recipient details; specific information to be disclosed with date ranges; purpose of disclosure; expiration date or event; and patient signature with date. For sensitive records (psychotherapy notes, substance use disorder treatment, HIV test results), separate specialized authorizations with explicit patient consent are required under federal and state privacy laws.

What are the maximum fees providers can charge for medical records in Georgia?

Georgia providers can charge up to $25.88 for search and retrieval, $9.70 for certification, and per-page rates of $0.97 (pages 1-20), $0.83 (pages 21-100), and $0.66 (pages 101+) for paper records under rates effective July 1, 2025. These maximums are adjusted annually by the Georgia Department of Community Health based on the medical component of the Consumer Price Index.

How do I find medical records from a healthcare facility that has closed?

Contact the Georgia Composite Medical Board for physician practice closure information and successor entity details. Check with successor organizations that may have acquired the records through merger or acquisition. Search the Georgia Department of Public Health for hospital closure documentation. Contact professional liability insurance carriers that covered the closed practice. If records cannot be located, consider alternative sources like insurance EOBs, pharmacy records, or other providers who received records via referral.

What should I do if a provider rejects my medical records request?

Immediately review the rejection letter for the specific reason cited. Common issues include incomplete authorizations, missing photo ID, expired consent forms, or insufficient payment. Correct the identified deficiency and resubmit within 24-48 hours to minimize delay. AI-powered platform from Codes Health prevents these rejections by reviewing every request before submission—automatically catching authorization errors, missing signatures, demographic inconsistencies, and other issues that cause provider denials.