How to Get Medical Records from Hospitals in Massachusetts (PI Law Firm's Guide)

Medical record retrieval remains one of the most time-consuming bottlenecks in personal injury litigation. For Massachusetts PI attorneys, obtaining complete medical documentation from hospitals directly impacts case timelines, settlement negotiations, and trial preparation. Under Massachusetts state law, hospitals have 30 days to respond to record requests—but the actual process often stretches to 60 days when records are stored off-site, and a further 30-day extension is permitted with written notice. Understanding the specific procedures, fees, and legal requirements across Massachusetts hospital systems can save your firm weeks of delays and prevent costly errors that restart the clock.

The good news: Massachusetts has streamlined access through centralized hospital networks and digital health exchanges. The challenge: each system has different contact points, authorization requirements, and processing workflows. Platforms like Codes Health use AI-powered error checking to catch authorization mistakes before submission—the leading cause of request rejections—while automating daily follow-ups with medical records departments.

This guide provides the exact contact information, step-by-step procedures, and cost breakdowns Massachusetts PI firms need to obtain records efficiently from every major hospital system in the state.

Key Takeaways

• Massachusetts hospitals must respond to record requests within 30 days, extendable to 60 days for off-site storage, with one additional 30-day extension permitted
• As of October 1, 2024, Massachusetts hospital copy fees are $28.69 base plus $0.96 per page for pages 1-100 and $0.49 for pages 101+; electronic copies under HIPAA cost just $6.50 flat
• Incomplete authorizations are the #1 cause of denied requests. Missing patient signatures, unclear expiration dates, or unchecked boxes for sensitive records will restart your 15-day clock. Codes Health catches these errors before submission using AI review—their system automatically flags misspellings, missing dates of service, and signature issues that would otherwise cause request rejections
• Medical records must be certified under M.G.L. c. 233 § 79G for trial admission, requiring at least 10 days written notice to opposing counsel

Understanding Your Rights to Medical Records in Massachusetts

Massachusetts provides robust legal frameworks governing medical record access for authorized representatives, including attorneys with valid client authorization. Both federal HIPAA regulations and state law establish clear timelines and procedures that hospitals must follow.

Massachusetts State Laws on Medical Record Access

Under M.G.L. c. 111 § 70, licensed hospitals must maintain patient records and provide copies upon valid authorization. The law establishes:

• Retention period: Hospitals must retain records for 20 years after discharge or final treatment
• Response timeline: 30 days standard, 60 days if records are in off-site storage
• Fee limitations: State-mandated maximum fees updated annually by the Massachusetts Hospital Association

For physician practices (not licensed hospitals), M.G.L. c. 112 § 12CC applies, with a 7-year retention requirement from the last patient encounter.

Who Can Request Medical Records?

Massachusetts law permits record requests from:

• The patient directly
• Personal representatives with legal authority
• Attorneys with valid HIPAA-compliant authorization signed by the patient
• Executors or administrators for deceased patients
• Parents or guardians for minor patients

For PI attorneys, HIPAA regulations at 45 CFR § 164.508 establish the federal baseline, while Massachusetts law provides additional protections for mental health, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS records that require separate specific authorization.

Legal Requirements for Requesting Medical Records in Massachusetts

Every medical record request begins with proper authorization. Missing signatures, unclear dates, or unchecked boxes for sensitive records will trigger rejections that restart your 15-day internal processing clock.

Key Information Needed for a Record Request

A complete authorization must include:

• Patient's full legal name (including maiden name if applicable)
• Date of birth and Social Security Number (optional but helpful)
• Current address and phone number
• Medical record number if known
• Specific dates of service or treatment period requested
• Provider/facility name
• Description of records needed (all records vs. specific types)
• Recipient information (law firm name, address, fax)
• Patient signature with date
• Expiration date for the authorization

Understanding HIPAA Authorization Forms

Most Massachusetts hospitals accept standard HIPAA-compliant authorization forms, though some require their own facility-specific versions. Mass General Brigham provides downloadable forms on their website, as does Boston Medical Center.

Critical considerations for sensitive records:

• Mental health records require specific authorization under M.G.L. c. 112 § 12F
• Substance abuse treatment records have additional federal protections under 42 CFR Part 2
• HIV/AIDS records require separate written consent
• Genetic testing results have specific protections under M.G.L. c. 111 § 70G

Step-by-Step Guide to Requesting Records from Massachusetts Hospitals

The process varies by hospital system, but the general workflow remains consistent. Below are the specific contacts and procedures for major Massachusetts hospital networks.

Locating the Right Department

Mass General Brigham Network (Centralized): All requests for MGH, Brigham and Women's, Newton-Wellesley, Salem Hospital, and Mass Eye and Ear go through one office:

• Address: 121 Inner Belt Road, Room 240, Somerville, MA 02143
• Phone: 617-726-2361
• Fax: 617-726-3661

Boston Medical Center:

• Address: 850 Harrison Avenue, Yawkey Ambulatory Care Center, Basement, Boston, MA 02118
• Phone: 617-414-4213
• Fax: 617-414-4210
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center:

• Address: 330 Brookline Avenue, Rabb Building B014, Boston, MA 02215
• Phone: 617-667-3710
• Fax: 866-710-0132

Tufts Medicine:

• Address: 800 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111
• Phone: 866-892-1780
• Turnaround: 10 days typical (fastest among major systems)

UMass Memorial Medical Center:

• Address: 119 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01605
• Phone: 508-334-5700

Anticipating Costs and Timelines

As of October 1, 2024, Massachusetts hospital copy fees are:

• Base/Search Fee: $28.69
• Pages 1-100: $0.96 per page
• Pages 101+: $0.49 per page
• Electronic Copy (under HIPAA): $6.50 flat fee
• Postage: Actual cost

Cost examples:

• 50-page ER record: $28.69 + (50 × $0.96) = $76.69
• 250-page surgical record: $28.69 + (100 × $0.96) + (150 × $0.49) = $201.69
• Electronic copy of any size: $6.50

Fee exemptions: Records requested for Social Security disability claims or MassHealth applications are free by law—specify this in your request letter.

Expediting Medical Record Retrieval for Personal Injury Cases

Standard 30-60 day timelines often conflict with case deadlines. Several strategies can accelerate the process.

When to Expedite a Request

Consider expedited requests when:

• Court deadlines require documentation within 2-3 weeks
• Settlement negotiations are pending
• Client's condition is deteriorating (future medical expense documentation)
• Statute of limitations is approaching (3 years in Massachusetts)

Legal Avenues for Faster Access

Patient portal access: Most major systems offer instant access to recent records through patient portals. Mass General Brigham's Patient Gateway, BMC's MyChart, and Tufts' myTuftsMed allow patients to download records immediately—your client can authorize you to access these portals directly.

Electronic delivery: Request electronic copies whenever possible. The $6.50 flat fee under HIPAA represents 75%+ savings over paper copies and arrives faster.

Subpoenas: Under M.G.L. c. 111 § 70, hospitals may release records in response to subpoenas if the patient is a named party and has been notified. However, patient authorization remains the faster, more reliable method.

The Role of Digital Health Information Exchange in Massachusetts

Massachusetts participates in the Mass HIWay health information exchange, connecting hospitals and providers for electronic record sharing. For PI firms, understanding these digital pathways can significantly reduce retrieval times.

Understanding Mass HIWay Benefits

The Mass HIWay enables participating providers to share patient records electronically. When your client has received care across multiple facilities, HIE access can consolidate records from different providers through a single query.

Limitations: Not all providers participate, and HIE records may not include the complete documentation needed for litigation. Always verify completeness against billing records and patient recollections.

EHR System Integration

Major Massachusetts hospital systems use electronic health records that support standardized data exchange:

• Mass General Brigham uses Epic (supports Apple Health Records integration)
• Beth Israel Lahey Health uses Epic
• Boston Medical Center uses Epic
• Tufts Medicine uses Epic

This standardization means records can often be exported in consistent formats, making analysis and chronology creation more efficient.

Analyzing and Summarizing Retrieved Medical Records for Legal Cases

Once records arrive, the real work begins. Extracting case-critical information from hundreds or thousands of pages requires systematic review.

Identifying Crucial Information

For PI cases, focus your review on:

• Diagnosis codes and treatment plans that establish injury causation
• Pre-existing conditions that opposing counsel may use to dispute damages
• Missed appointments that could indicate non-compliance
• Billing records that support economic damages claims
• Future treatment recommendations for projecting ongoing expenses

Creating a Comprehensive Case Narrative

Effective case chronologies organize records by date and provider visit, summarizing key findings while linking to source documentation. This process traditionally requires paralegal hours but can be accelerated through AI-powered analysis tools that automatically extract and organize relevant data points.

General-purpose AI tools (like ChatGPT-style assistants) aren’t designed to reliably interpret full medical charts with legal-grade precision. Codes Health’s medical-records AI is purpose-built for high-precision extraction and structuring—supporting chronologies, missing-record detection, and case-critical issue spotting in a way general AI can’t.

Overcoming Common Challenges in Massachusetts Medical Record Retrieval

Even with proper procedures, PI firms frequently encounter obstacles that delay case preparation.

Addressing Incomplete or Delayed Responses

Common issues and solutions:

• Authorization rejections: Review for missing signatures, expired dates, or unchecked sensitive record boxes. Resubmit corrected forms immediately.
• Off-site storage delays: Expect 60 days rather than 30. Budget this into your case timeline from the start.
• Missing pages or records: Cross-reference against billing records to identify gaps. Request specific missing portions—hospitals cannot charge additional search fees for their errors.

Strategies for Locating Elusive Records

When providers are unknown or records seem missing:

• Review client intake thoroughly for all treatment locations
• Check insurance EOBs for claims
• Query the Mass HIWay if client consents
• Use proprietary provider databases to identify past treatment facilities

How Codes Health Streamlines Massachusetts Medical Record Retrieval

For PI firms handling significant case volumes, manual retrieval processes consume paralegal hours that could be spent on case development. Codes Health offers an AI-powered platform specifically designed for legal medical record retrieval that addresses the most common pain points Massachusetts attorneys face.

Why Codes Health works for PI firms:

• 10-12 day average turnaround through direct HIE and EHR integrations, plus traditional retrieval methods—while some competitors advertise same-day retrieval, they often deliver incomplete records and require client involvement, leading to churn. Codes Health gets the complete records in 10-12 days without burdening your clients.
• AI error checking reviews every authorization before submission, catching the misspellings, missing signatures, and date errors that cause request rejections
• Automated daily follow-ups with all providers—no manual chasing required
• Complete record retrieval from all provider sources, cross-referenced against patient history to identify gaps before trial
• AI-powered chronologies that organize, summarize, and extract case-critical insights from thousands of pages

The platform operates on a flat fee basis. Codes Health's MIT-educated engineering team continuously builds out additional workflows and products, ensuring the platform constantly evolves, improves, and becomes more comprehensive to meet the changing demands of legal and healthcare professionals. For high-volume practices, Codes Health can build custom integrations with your firm's CRM and case management software.

For Massachusetts PI firms tired of 60-day waits and authorization rejections, Codes Health offers a more efficient path from intake to trial preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do hospitals in Massachusetts have to provide medical records?

Under M.G.L. c. 111 § 70, Massachusetts hospitals must respond within 30 days of receiving a valid authorization. If records are stored off-site, this extends to 60 days. Hospitals may take one additional 30-day extension with written notice to the requester.

What are the typical costs associated with obtaining medical records from MA hospitals?

As of October 1, 2024, Massachusetts hospitals charge $28.69 as a base fee, plus $0.96 per page for pages 1-100 and $0.49 per page thereafter. Electronic copies under HIPAA are capped at $6.50 regardless of size. Records for Social Security disability or public benefit claims are free.

Can a personal injury lawyer request medical records without patient consent in Massachusetts?

No. HIPAA requires valid patient authorization for attorney requests. Subpoenas alone are insufficient under 45 CFR § 164.512 unless the patient has been notified and has not objected, or a qualified protective order is in place. Patient authorization remains the fastest and most reliable method.

What should I do if a Massachusetts hospital denies my request for medical records?

First, identify the reason for denial—most commonly incomplete authorization (missing signature, expired date, or unchecked boxes for sensitive records). Correct and resubmit immediately. If the denial seems improper, contact the hospital's privacy officer or file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights.

How do I certify medical records for trial in Massachusetts?

Under M.G.L. c. 233 § 79G, medical records must be certified by the physician or records custodian to be admitted as evidence. You must provide written notice to opposing counsel at least 10 days before trial via certified mail with return receipt, then file an affidavit with the court confirming compliance.