Your records, without the runaround
Find where to ask. Leave with the request ready.
Search a provider’s published records route, then prepare a request you can send yourself—free, private, and without an account.
Find my provider’s route ↓Nothing is sent or saved. You stay in control.
Private provider finder · no account
Find the official request route
- 1 Find
- 2 Prepare
- 3 Send
First, find the right provider
Which hospital, clinic, or health system has the records?
Search 209 records-request instructions reviewed against each provider's own published page. We show the source and review date before you rely on them.
Direct answer
How do I request my medical records?
Start with the provider's published records route, specify the records, date range, delivery format, and recipient, then keep proof that the request was received. A HIPAA-covered entity generally must act within 30 calendar days; read the HHS right-of-access guidance and follow the provider's identity requirements.
Reviewed by the MedicalRecords.com editorial team · Last reviewed August 2026.
How it works
Verify the route
Search a directory reviewed against provider-published records pages. Unmatched providers stay explicitly unverified.
Prepare the request
Build a right-of-access letter from the patient, record scope, date range, and delivery format you enter in this browser.
Send with proof
Confirm the provider's form and identity requirements, then keep a portal confirmation, fax receipt, or tracking record.
Looking for a specific hospital or clinic?
Browse 209 routes linked to provider-published records pages. Directory routes were reviewed July 2026; always recheck before sending.
Records rights, provider routes, and guides
Know your rights
Your HIPAA right of access, in plain English
The federal right that makes all of this work: what 45 CFR § 164.524 entitles you to, the 30-day rule and one allowed extension, the limits on what you can be charged, and how to escalate to HHS.
Read the guide →Common questions
Is findmy.health really free?
Yes. Directory search and request-letter preparation require no payment or account. A separate, optional done-for-you service is linked only after the free request is complete; the free path remains fully usable.
What is the HIPAA right of access?
The HIPAA Privacy Rule gives individuals a right to inspect or obtain copies of protected health information in a covered entity's designated record set, subject to limited exceptions. The request file cites 45 CFR § 164.524; confirm that the recipient is covered and follow its identity and form requirements.
How long does the provider have to respond?
A HIPAA-covered entity generally must act no later than 30 calendar days after receiving the request. One additional 30-day extension is permitted if it sends written notice during the first period explaining the delay and expected completion date.
How much can they charge me?
Only a reasonable, cost-based fee: the labor to copy your records, the media or paper, and postage if mailed. They cannot bill you for searching for or retrieving the records — even where state law seems to allow it. Copies sent electronically are often free.
Do I have to use MedicalRecords.com to get my records?
No. Downloading the free request, verifying the provider's route, and sending it yourself is a complete ending. MedicalRecords.com is an optional continuation for people who want to review its available records tools.
What if the provider ignores me or overcharges?
You can file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights through its online portal, generally within 180 days of the problem. OCR enforces the right of access and has fined providers for denying or overcharging patients.
Sourced from the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR § 164.524, HHS Office for Civil Rights). Reviewed by the MedicalRecords.com editorial team · Last reviewed July 2026.
Keep your records request moving
Focused tools for records, coverage, costs, and care decisions.
order.health
Build a records-retrieval service brief with public tiers starting at $50, the provider-clock boundary, proof requirements, and the complete free alternative.
Visit →Free Healthcare Proxy
Organize your answers privately, then complete a source-checked official state form — unsupported states fail closed.
Visit →MedicalRecords TV
Interactive visual briefs about records, bills, and coverage, with full transcripts, official sources, and explicit scope notes.
Visit →Health-system directory
Start with a published records route
Browse source-reviewed instructions before creating your request letter.
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