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

Arizona personal injury lawyers submit hundreds of medical records requests annually, yet many firms still wait 30–90 days for complete records through manual processes. This checklist focuses on authorization requirements, request strategy, and PI workflow steps to retrieve complete medical records efficiently—plus how Codes Health helps deliver complete records in 10–12 days (flat fee) with automated error prevention and daily follow-ups.

Key Takeaways

• HIPAA generally requires response within 30 days for access requests; Arizona litigation workflows may have different practical timelines depending on request type and facility
• ARS § 12-2294 governs all medical records releases in Arizona, requiring written patient authorization or court order
• Disability/benefits requests may qualify for reduced or waived fees depending on the request type and provider policy (verify per case)
• Mental health and substance abuse records require separate authorization forms under enhanced federal confidentiality protections
• A standardized PI workflow (intake → authorization → submission → escalation) is more reliable than chasing facility-by-facility procedures
• Incomplete authorizations are the #1 cause of denied requests—Codes Health’s AI review catches errors before submission, supporting complete records in 10–12 days

Understanding Medical Record Request Forms in Arizona

Every medical records request in Arizona requires proper authorization under both federal HIPAA regulations and state-specific statutes. Understanding these requirements prevents rejections that restart your timeline.

Key Sections of an Arizona Medical Records Release Form

Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-2294, healthcare providers cannot release medical records without:

• Written patient authorization specifying the information to be disclosed
• Court order in litigation settings
• Subpoena meeting Arizona's 10-day notice requirements

A valid Arizona authorization form must include:

• Patient's full legal name, date of birth, and address
• Provider name and address (who holds the records)
• Recipient information (your law firm)
• Specific records requested with date ranges
• Purpose of disclosure (mark "Legal Purposes" for PI cases)
• Expiration date or triggering event
• Patient signature and date
• Separate initials for sensitive records (mental health, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse)

Ensuring HIPAA Compliance for Your Practice

The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes federal baseline requirements that Arizona law builds upon. Healthcare providers must respond within 30 days of receiving a written request, with one 30-day extension permitted for off-site records.

Arizona provides additional protections under ARS § 12-2294, including 12 specific exceptions for release without authorization and priority order requirements for deceased patient records.

Codes Health operates a HIPAA-compliant e-signature platform for intake documents, including release of information requests—streamlining authorization while maintaining compliance with both federal and Arizona requirements.

HIPAA Authorization for Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury cases demand precision in authorization forms. A single missing element can restart your entire timeline.

Common Pitfalls in HIPAA Authorization

The Arizona Bar Association's HIPAA Practice Guide identifies critical authorization requirements that PI lawyers frequently miss:

Top rejection reasons:

• Missing patient signatures or dates
• Unclear or absent expiration dates
• Unchecked boxes for sensitive record categories
• Wrong provider name or address
• Insufficient patient identifiers for common names

Sensitive records requiring special handling:

• Mental health and psychiatric records require distinctly separate authorization
• Substance abuse records protected under 42 USC §§ 290dd-3 and 290ee-3
• HIV/AIDS status requires specific patient consent

Incomplete authorizations are the #1 cause of denied requests. Missing patient signatures, unclear expiration dates, or unchecked boxes for sensitive records can restart your 15-day clock. Codes Health’s AI review catches these errors before submission—automatically flagging misspellings, missing dates of service, and signature issues that would otherwise trigger rejections.

Customizing Templates for Arizona Requirements

Arizona law is more restrictive than federal HIPAA in several areas. Your authorization templates should include:

• Arizona-specific statutory citations (ARS § 12-2294)
• Separate signature lines for mental health records
• Clear identification of representative authority for deceased or incapacitated patients
• Specific date ranges rather than open-ended requests

Finding Old Medical Records Online and Offline in Arizona

Locating historical medical records—especially from closed practices or childhood treatment—presents unique challenges in PI cases requiring proof of pre-existing conditions or establishing baseline health status.

Strategies for Locating Dormant Records

Arizona requires providers to retain medical records for 6 years after the last date of service for adults. For minors, records must be kept for 6 years after last service OR 3 years after the 18th birthday, whichever is later.

Where to search for historical records:

• Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) connecting Arizona providers
• TEFCA network access for nationwide records
• Individual provider EHR patient portals
• Insurance company claims records (often retained longer than medical records)
• Pharmacy records (may show prescribing physicians)

Leveraging Online Patient Portals

Major Arizona healthcare systems offer patient portal access with immediate partial records:

• HonorHealth: MyChart portal
• Dignity Health: My Portal
• Northern Arizona Healthcare: Online portal with Sharecare integration

Patient portals typically provide test results, visit summaries, and medication lists within 24-48 hours—useful for initial case evaluation while complete records are in transit.

Codes Health helps PI teams request records across multiple facilities and can assist with locating prior treatment sources for clients with complex medical histories—especially when care spans multiple locations or years.

Essential Contact Details for Arizona Healthcare Providers

Arizona's major hospital systems each maintain specific procedures that can accelerate or delay your retrieval timeline.

Dignity Health Arizona Facilities

Dignity Health operates major Phoenix metro hospitals with standardized 30-day processing:

Chandler Regional Medical Center

• Phone: (480) 728-3125
• Fax: (480) 728-3980
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm
• Address: 1955 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center

• Phone: (480) 728-7104
• Fax: (480) 728-9618
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm
• Address: 3555 S. Val Vista Drive, Gilbert, AZ 85297

St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

• Phone: (602) 406-3357
• Fax: (602) 406-4120
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm
• Address: 350 West Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85013

Northern Arizona Healthcare System

Northern Arizona Healthcare offers 10-day processing—faster than the statutory requirement:

Flagstaff Medical Center

• Phone: (928) 773-2072
• Fax: 928-773-2178
• Email: fmcroi@nahealth.com
• Address: 1200 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Verde Valley Medical Center

• Phone: (928) 639-6280
• Fax: 928-639-6030
• Email: vvmcroi@nahealth.com
• Address: 269 S. Candy Lane, Cottonwood, AZ 86326

Northern Arizona Healthcare provides separate forms for attorneys versus patients/guardians and offers Spanish authorization forms.

HonorHealth System

HonorHealth serves Scottsdale and North Phoenix through centralized processing:

Network Support Services

• Address: 2500 W. Utopia, Phoenix, AZ 85027
• Phone: 480-882-4040
• Fax: 480-882-5841
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4:30pm

HonorHealth Cancer Care (separate contact):

• Fax: 480-882-5875
• Phone: 623-238-7470 (option 4)

HonorHealth has ended walk-in pickup services as of 2024, prioritizing digital delivery for faster, more secure processing.

Abrazo Health System

Abrazo Health covers West Valley and Central Phoenix:

• Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital: (602) 532-1091
• Abrazo Arrowhead Campus: (623) 561-1000
• Abrazo Central Campus: (602) 249-0212
• Abrazo Scottsdale Campus: (602) 923-5000
• Abrazo West Campus: (623) 882-1500

Important: Radiology requests require contacting the Radiology department directly for imaging discs.

Codes Health's automated follow-up systems contact providers daily until record delivery, with status updates transmitted automatically—eliminating the need to manually track dozens of provider relationships.

Tailoring Medical Record Requests for Personal Injury Cases

PI cases require specific documentation categories that standard requests often miss.

Identifying Critical Information for Damages

Beyond basic treatment records, PI lawyers should request:

Causation documentation:

• Pre-incident baseline records (establish health before injury)
• First treatment after incident (temporal connection)
• All treating provider causation opinions

Damages support:

• Complete billing records with CPT codes
• Prescription records from all pharmacies
• Physical therapy/rehabilitation notes
• Future treatment recommendations

Defense anticipation:

• Prior similar injury records
• Complete medication history
• Any pre-existing condition documentation

Codes Health’s AI can help surface case-relevant details in the records (e.g., missed appointments, prior conditions, treatment gaps) and organize documentation that supports damages review.

Requesting Billing Records for Economic Losses

Billing records often require separate requests from medical records. Specify:

• Itemized statements with CPT/ICD codes
• All dates of service within your range
• Insurance adjustments and write-offs
• Outstanding balances

Expediting Your Medical Records Retrieval Process in Arizona

Speed matters when statutes of limitations approach or settlement negotiations await documentation.

Tips for Faster Record Acquisition

Submission method hierarchy (fastest to slowest):

1. Provider's secure online portal
2. Patient portal coordinated with client
3. Encrypted email with PDF authorization
4. Fax with confirmation page
5. Certified mail with return receipt

Timeline expectations: Processing times vary by facility and request quality. Clean authorizations, trackable submission, and disciplined follow-ups have the biggest impact on speed.

Some facilities may process certain request types faster than others, but timelines vary widely—plan for variability and use escalation steps when deadlines slip.

Important distinction: Some platforms advertise same-day retrieval, but those “instant” pulls often don’t include the complete chart and still require client involvement to finish the request—creating delays and churn. Codes Health delivers complete, comprehensive records in 10–12 days without pushing follow-up work onto your client.

Addressing Provider Delays

When providers miss the 30-day HIPAA deadline:

Days 1-7: Polite phone inquiry confirming receipt Days 8-14: Written follow-up citing Arizona statutory requirements Days 15-21: Escalation to compliance officer Days 22-30: Formal demand letter via certified mail Beyond 30 days: Consider subpoena under ARS § 12-2294.01

Codes Health provides real-time status updates for every fax and call made on behalf of clients, offering complete visibility into request status—eliminating the "black box" frustration of traditional retrieval services.

Ensuring Completeness: Missing Records Review for Litigation

Incomplete records can devastate case value at trial or settlement negotiations.

Identifying Gaps for Stronger Case Presentation

Common missing elements to verify:

• Treatment notes matching all billing entries
• Lab results referenced in clinical notes
• Imaging CDs (not just radiology reports)
• Specialist referral records
• Discharge summaries for hospital stays

Codes Health includes Missing Record Review that cross-references patient medical history to identify gaps in record collection before trial—visualizing missing records within the timeline so you request specific gaps rather than conducting redundant broad requests.

The Role of Medical Chronologies in PI Cases

Organized chronologies strengthen every case aspect:

• Settlement negotiations: Demonstrates thorough preparation
• Expert review: Enables efficient medical opinion development
• Trial presentation: Creates clear narrative for jury

Codes Health automatically organizes, compiles, and summarizes case records into chronological order. All patient encounters and bills are grouped and summarized by visit, enabling rapid navigation through potentially thousands of pages of medical documentation.

Legal and Ethical Considerations: Can I Look Up My Own Medical Records?

Understanding the distinction between patient access rights and attorney request procedures prevents compliance issues.

Difference Between Patient and Attorney Requests

Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, patients have broad rights to access their own records without stating a reason. Providers must respond within 30 days and can only charge "reasonable, cost-based fees."

Attorney requests require:

• Signed patient authorization OR
• Valid subpoena with 10-day notice OR
• Court order

Arizona law allows providers to deny access if records would endanger the patient's life or physical safety, reference another person who would be endangered, or involve clinical research with agreed temporary denial.

Understanding Vital Records in Arizona for Wrongful Death & Disability Cases

Wrongful death and disability cases require vital records beyond standard medical documentation.

Accessing Arizona Death Certificates

For wrongful death cases:

• Death certificates available through Arizona Department of Health Services
• Medical examiner reports for autopsy findings
• Cause of death documentation

The Impact of Vital Records on Claims

Disability cases may require:

• Birth certificates for age verification
• Marriage/divorce records for benefit eligibility
• Prior disability determinations

Arizona's one free copy per calendar year benefit for Social Security disability appeals—triggered by providing SSA Form 1696—can significantly reduce costs for disability-related PI cases.

Arizona Fee Schedule: What Providers Can Legally Charge

Understanding fee limitations prevents overpayment and budget surprises.

Arizona medical records fees under ARS § 12-2295:

• Social Security disability appeals: One free copy per calendar year (requires SSA Form 1696)
• Additional requests: "Reasonable fee" for subsequent requests same calendar year
• No charge if nothing found: Providers cannot charge when no records exist

Cost-saving strategies:

• Always request electronic format when available
• Include SSA Form 1696 for disability-related cases
• Request fee estimate before authorizing charges

Codes Health operates on a flat fee structure—contact for pricing—providing cost predictability and eliminating surprise provider fees for high-volume practices.

Ready to Transform Your Arizona Medical Records Process?

The 30-90 day medical records bottleneck doesn't have to stall your settlements or consume your staff's time. Codes Health provides medical records retrieval and AI-powered review for Arizona personal injury workflows—combining 10–12 day delivery of complete records (flat fee) with automated organization, missing-record checks, and litigation-ready structuring.

General AI tools (ChatGPT, etc.) are not designed to reliably analyze medical records for litigation and can miss structure and context in complex charts. Codes Health’s AI is purpose-built for PI workflows and can analyze and organize medical records with high precision for personal injury, mass tort, and medical malpractice matters.

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 changing demands for legal medical record workflows. For high-volume practices, Codes Health can build custom integrations with CRM platforms and other medical software to streamline intake, tracking, and downstream case workflows.

Schedule a demonstration to see how legal-grade AI can handle your entire pre-litigation medical records workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average time it takes to request medical records in Arizona?

Under federal HIPAA, providers must respond within 30 days with one 30-day extension permitted. Arizona attorney requests may be entitled to 10 working days. However, manual processes typically take 30-90 days in practice. Codes Health delivers organized records in 10-12 days through automated follow-ups and AI-powered processing.

Do I need a specific HIPAA authorization form for Arizona personal injury cases?

Arizona accepts standard HIPAA-compliant authorization forms, but Arizona has state-specific requirements that can affect authorization wording and sensitive-record handling. Your form must comply with ARS § 12-2294 and include separate authorization for mental health records. Many providers also prefer their own proprietary forms.

What should I do if a medical provider denies my record request in Arizona?

Arizona law allows limited denial reasons: patient safety concerns, reference to endangered third parties, or clinical research agreements. For improper denials, escalate to the facility compliance officer, send formal demand letters citing ARS § 12-2294, and consider subpoena under ARS § 12-2294.01. File complaints with the Arizona Department of Health Services or HHS Office for Civil Rights.

Are there different rules for requesting mental health records in Arizona?

Yes. The Arizona Bar Association confirms that psychological and psychiatric records require "distinctly separate authorization." Substance abuse records receive enhanced federal protection under 42 CFR Part 2. When mental or emotional damages are claimed in PI cases, secure separate authorizations upfront to avoid delays.

How can I ensure the medical records I receive are complete and accurate?

Verify all requested date ranges are covered, billing records match treatment notes, imaging CDs are included with reports, and no chronological gaps exist. Codes Health's platform automatically identifies missing records by comparing treatment documentation to received records, flags incomplete provider deliveries, and visualizes gaps requiring follow-up requests.