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

Personal injury attorneys handling NYC cases face a fragmented landscape of 11 public hospitals, multiple private health systems, and dozens of provider-specific authorization requirements. This comprehensive checklist provides verified contact information, required forms, and submission procedures for 18 major NYC healthcare facilities—plus strategies for reducing your retrieval timeline from months to approximately 10-12 days using platforms like Codes Health.

Key Takeaways

• New York Public Health Law §18 requires providers to grant patients the right to inspect their records within 10 days of a written request—a much faster initial access requirement than the federal 30-day HIPAA timeline for providing copies
• NYC Health + Hospitals operates 11 facilities using the standardized NYCHHC HIPAA Authorization Form 2413
• Major private systems (NewYork-Presbyterian, NYU Langone, Mount Sinai) each maintain distinct authorization forms and contact procedures
• Electronic record delivery costs $6.50-$20 flat under HITECH Act versus $0.75/page for paper copies
• Incomplete authorizations are the #1 cause of denied requests—missing signatures, unclear expiration dates, or unchecked sensitive record boxes restart your timeline
• Codes Health's AI platform catches authorization errors before submission and delivers organized records in 10-12 days versus 30-90 days through manual processes

Understanding New York State Medical Record Release Forms (HIPAA Compliance)

Every medical records request in New York requires a properly executed HIPAA-compliant authorization form. New York operates under dual legal frameworks—federal HIPAA requirements and stricter state protections under NY Public Health Law §18—that mandate provider response within 10 days of receiving a proper request.

Authorization Form Requirements

Essential form elements include:

• Patient's full legal name, date of birth, and current address
• Specific information to be disclosed (checkboxes for each record type)
• Authorized recipient (your law firm's name and address)
• Purpose of disclosure (select "Legal Purposes" for PI cases)
• Expiration date or triggering event
• Patient signature and date
• Special authorization sections for sensitive records (mental health, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, genetic testing)

Sensitive information disclosures require explicit patient authorization. Under New York law, mental health records, substance abuse treatment, HIV/AIDS status, and genetic testing results cannot be released without specific patient consent indicated on the authorization form. Missing these checkboxes will result in incomplete record delivery or outright rejection.

Provider-Specific vs. Standard Forms

While HIPAA establishes minimum requirements, NYC healthcare systems maintain proprietary authorization templates. Using provider-specific forms typically expedites processing by several days compared to generic HIPAA forms.

The four major form types you'll encounter:

• NYC Health + Hospitals: NYCHHC HIPAA Authorization Form 2413 (Revised 06-05)
• NewYork-Presbyterian: Authorization for Release of Health Information
• NYU Langone: Authorization for Disclosure of PHI
• Mount Sinai: MR-201 Patient Authorization (Rev. 5/2025)

Identifying Key Contact Information for NYC Healthcare Providers

NYC's healthcare landscape includes 18 major facilities across five boroughs. Each maintains distinct medical records departments with specific submission procedures.

NYC Health + Hospitals (Public System - 11 Facilities)

The NYC Health + Hospitals system operates all public hospitals citywide using standardized Form 2413. Hours are consistently Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm.

Manhattan Facilities:

• Bellevue Hospital Center: 462 First Avenue, AG-90, NY 10016 | Phone: (212) 562-3105 | Fax: (212) 562-8585 | Email: bellevuehim@nychhc.org
• Metropolitan Hospital Center: 1901 First Avenue, Rm. 131A, NY 10029 | Phone: (212) 423-6488 | Fax: (212) 423-8648 | Email: metropolitanhim@nychhc.org
• Harlem Hospital Center: MLK 506 Lenox Avenue, 1st Floor Room 1164, NY 10037 | Phone: (212) 939-2777 | Fax: (212) 939-3546 | Email: harlemhim@nychhc.org
• Gouverneur Healthcare Services: 227 Madison Street, 1st Floor, NY 10002 | Phone: (212) 238-7116/7167 | Fax: (212) 238-7689 | Email: gouverneurhim@nychhc.org

Brooklyn Facilities:

• Kings County Hospital: 451 Clarkson Avenue, Rm. BG 40, Brooklyn 11203 | Phone: (718) 245-4242 | Fax: (718) 245-4778 | Email: kingshim@nychhc.org
• Coney Island Hospital: 2601 Ocean Parkway, Tower Building Rm. T110, Brooklyn 11235 | Phone: (718) 616-4197 | Fax: (718) 616-4574 | Email: coneyhim@nychhc.org
• Woodhull Hospital: 760 Broadway, Room 1AB 100, Brooklyn 11206 | Phone: (718) 963-8023/8160 | Fax: (718) 963-8277 | Email: woodhullhim@nychhc.org

Queens Facilities:

• NYC H+H Queens: 82-68 164th Street, Room N100, Jamaica 11432 | Phone: (718) 883-2448 | Fax: (718) 883-6118 | Email: queenshim@nychhc.org
• Elmhurst Hospital: 79-01 Broadway, Rm BE-11, Elmhurst 11373 | Phone: (718) 334-3144 | Fax: (718) 334-2659 | Email: elmhursthim@nychhc.org

Bronx Facilities:

• Jacobi Medical Center: 1400 Pelham Parkway South, Building 1 Room 131, Bronx 10461 | Phone: (718) 918-4720 | Fax: (718) 918-4869 | Email: jacobihim@nychhc.org (also handles North Central Bronx Hospital records)
• Lincoln Hospital: 234 E 149th Street, 1st Floor Rm 180, Bronx 10451 | Phone: (718) 579-5422 | Fax: (718) 579-4768 | Email: lincolnhim@nychhc.org

NewYork-Presbyterian System (4 Facilities)

NewYork-Presbyterian operates through a centralized Medical Correspondence Unit with a dedicated Release of Information call center at (646) 697-4764. Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.

• Columbia University Irving Medical Center: 622 West 168th Street, NY 10032 | Phone: (212) 305-3270 | Fax: (646) 697-4764 | Email: nypcs@verisma.com (covers Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital and Allen Hospital)
• Weill Cornell Medical Center: 525 East 68th Street Box 126, NY 10065 | Phone: (212) 746-0530
• NYP Queens: 56-45 Main Street, Flushing 11355 | Phone: (718) 670-1374

Separate departments for imaging: Radiology films at Weill Cornell: (212) 746-2551/2552; Pathology slides: (212) 746-2700.

NYU Langone Health (2 Facilities)

NYU Langone processes requests through centralized Health Information Management. MyChart portal provides the fastest retrieval method.

• Tisch Hospital (Manhattan): One Park Avenue, 6th Floor, NY 10016 | Phone: (646) 929-7870 | Fax: (929) 455-9833 | Email: HIS@NYULangone.org
• NYU Langone Brooklyn: 150 55th Street, Brooklyn 11220 | Phone: (718) 630-7314

Attorney-specific note: Specific fees apply for attorney requests—different from patient portal requests, which are free.

Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai accepts requests through its MyMountSinai® patient portal or via completed paper forms.

• Mount Sinai Hospital: 1468 Madison Avenue, Annenberg Building 3-60A, NY 10029 | Phone: (212) 241-7520
• Required Form: MR-201 Patient Authorization (Rev. 5/2025)
• Format Options: Paper/Mail, Disc/Mail, PDF/Email

One Brooklyn Health

One Brooklyn Health recommends using their online portal at myonebrooklynhealth.org.

• Brookdale Hospital: 1 Brookdale Plaza, Brooklyn 11212 | Phone: (718) 240-5561 | Fax: (718) 240-5720 | Email: healthinfo@bhmcny.org | Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm

Crafting Effective Medical Record Request Letters for PI Cases

Beyond proper authorization forms, your request letter determines processing speed and completeness.

Essential request letter components:

• Patient's full identifying information (name, DOB, SSN if available)
• Specific dates of service or date range
• Exact record types needed (treatment notes, imaging, labs, billing, prescriptions)
• Case name/number for your reference
• Method of delivery preference (PDF/email is fastest)
• Prepayment or payment method information
• Return address and direct contact information

Record types to explicitly request:

• Emergency Department records
• All physician treatment notes
• Radiology reports AND imaging CDs
• Laboratory results
• Operative reports (if applicable)
• Discharge summaries
• Itemized billing records
• Ambulance/EMS records (requires separate FDNY request)

Incomplete authorizations are the #1 cause of denied requests. Missing patient signatures, unclear expiration dates, or unchecked boxes for sensitive records will restart your timeline. Codes Health's AI review catches these errors before submission—their system automatically flags misspellings, missing dates of service, and signature issues that would otherwise cause provider rejections.

Accessing Records Through Digital Methods: HIEs, TEFCA, and EHR Systems

Electronic submission and retrieval methods cut turnaround time by 50-75% compared to traditional mail.

Patient portal systems offer fastest access:

• NYU Langone MyChart provides 24-48 hour patient access
• One Brooklyn Health portal at myonebrooklynhealth.org
• Mount Sinai MyMountSinai® for direct submission

Submission method hierarchy (fastest to slowest):

1. Provider's secure online portal (1-3 days processing)
2. Email with PDF authorization (3-5 days)
3. Fax with confirmation page (5-7 days)
4. Certified mail with return receipt (10-14 days plus mailing time)

Codes Health integrates with Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), TEFCA networks, and EHR systems to access records through digital channels, complementing traditional fax retrieval methods and creating multiple pathways for faster record acquisition.

Strategizing for Fast Medical Record Turnaround

Despite New York's 10-day legal requirement, actual turnaround through manual processes averages 30-90 days. Strategic approaches can compress this timeline significantly.

Turnaround time by facility type:

• NYC Health + Hospitals: 10-14 business days standard
• NewYork-Presbyterian: Responds within 15 days of receipt
• NYU Langone: 5-15 business days typical

Acceleration strategies:

• Request electronic format (PDF/email) rather than paper
• Include prepayment to avoid processing delays
• Submit through online portals when available
• Use provider-specific authorization forms
• Maintain systematic follow-up schedules

The automation advantage: Codes Health's platform maintains daily automated follow-ups with all providers, ensuring persistent pursuit of outstanding records without manual staff intervention. While some competitors advertise same-day retrieval, they often deliver incomplete records and require significant client involvement, leading to frustration and churn. Codes Health's system delivers complete, organized records in 10-12 days—a 3-9x improvement over traditional methods without the gaps and hassles of rushed services.

Addressing Common Rejection Reasons and Avoiding Delays

Provider rejections restart your entire timeline, potentially adding weeks to case preparation.

Top rejection reasons and solutions:

• Incomplete authorization: Missing signature, date, or unchecked sensitive record boxes → Complete every field; initial all sensitive sections
• Missing/inadequate photo ID: Blurry, expired, or absent ID → Include clear copy of current government ID
• Insufficient patient information: Common names without adequate identifiers → Include full legal name, DOB, SSN, dates of service
• Expired authorization: Missing or past expiration date → Include specific expiration date or triggering event
• Wrong department: Sent to billing instead of HIM → Address to "Health Information Management" or "Medical Records Department"

Codes Health's AI review catches these errors before submission—preventing rejections that add 10-15 days to manual processes.

Ensuring Comprehensive Record Collection

Missing records surface critical gaps that can undermine case value or create trial surprises.

Completeness verification checklist:

• All requested date ranges covered without gaps
• Treatment notes AND billing records included
• Imaging CDs enclosed (not just radiology reports)
• Laboratory results present
• Specialist consultation notes included
• Records legible and complete

Identifying gaps:

• Compare treatment notes to billing records—charges without corresponding notes indicate missing documentation
• Check for referrals mentioned in notes but no corresponding specialist records
• Verify prescription records match medications documented in treatment notes

Codes Health's Missing Record Review cross-references patient medical history to identify gaps in record collection before trial. Their AI-powered chronology visualization identifies missing records within the treatment timeline, allowing legal teams to request specific gaps rather than conducting redundant broad requests.

New York Medical Records Fee Schedule

Understanding fee structures prevents surprise costs and enables accurate case budgeting.

Paper format fees under NY Public Health Law §18:

• Maximum $0.75 per page for all providers
• Cannot deny access due to inability to pay

Electronic format fees under HITECH Act:

• $6.50-$20.00 flat fee (significantly cheaper for voluminous records)
• No per-page charges for electronic delivery

Free records scenarios:

• Continuing care (provider-to-provider transfer)
• Government benefit applications
• Patient portal access (some systems)

Leveraging Legal Tech for Medical Record Workflow Optimization

Managing dozens of simultaneous provider requests while handling full caseloads leads to missed follow-ups and incomplete files. AI-powered platforms address this administrative burden.

Traditional process costs:

• 10-15 hours weekly of staff time tracking requests and making follow-up calls
• 30-90 day average turnaround despite legal requirements
• High error rates from incomplete authorizations
• Disorganized delivery requiring hours of manual sorting

The Codes Health advantage:

• AI-powered request review catches errors before submission
• Daily automated follow-ups with all providers
• Real-time status tracking with complete visibility into every request
• Automatic record organization in chronological order
• Custom integrations with CRM platforms and medical software for high-volume customers
• Legal-grade AI specifically trained for personal injury and medical malpractice cases—unlike general AI platforms like ChatGPT that cannot accurately analyze medical records
• Continuously evolving platform: 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

The platform operates as a premier pre-litigation department without the overhead, combining the functions of a nurse, paralegal, and assistant in a single HIPAA-compliant system with flat-fee pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What specific HIPAA forms are required for medical record requests in New York City?

NYC providers require system-specific authorization forms: NYC Health + Hospitals uses Form 2413, NewYork-Presbyterian has its own Authorization for Release form, NYU Langone requires their PHI disclosure form, and Mount Sinai uses form MR-201. All forms must include patient signature, specific record types requested, expiration date, and separate authorization for sensitive records (mental health, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS).

How long does it typically take to obtain medical records from NYC hospitals?

NY Public Health Law §18 requires 10-day response times for inspection, but actual turnaround through manual processes averages 30-90 days. Codes Health's platform delivers organized records in 10-12 days through automated error prevention and daily provider follow-ups.

What are the most common reasons for medical record request rejections from New York providers?

Incomplete authorizations is the #1 cause of rejections—missing signatures, unchecked boxes for sensitive records, or absent expiration dates. Missing or inadequate photo ID accounts for 25% of rejections. Insufficient patient identifying information causes 15% of rejections. Each rejection restarts your timeline, potentially adding 10-15 days to the retrieval process.

Can personal injury lawyers access medical records digitally in NYC through HIEs or TEFCA?

Yes. Major NYC systems offer electronic access: NYU Langone MyChart, Mount Sinai MyMountSinai®, and One Brooklyn Health patient portal. Codes Health integrates with HIEs, TEFCA networks, and EHR systems to access records through multiple digital pathways, supplementing traditional fax retrieval.

Are there different requirements for requesting billing records versus treatment records in NYC?

Billing records often require separate requests from treatment records, as different departments handle each. Always explicitly request "itemized billing records" alongside treatment notes. NYC hospitals can charge up to $0.75 per page for paper copies, while electronic delivery costs $6.50-$20 flat under HITECH Act provisions—substantially cheaper for voluminous records.