If you’re moving to a city or town far away and have to get a new doctor, you must make sure you transfer your medical records beforehand to avoid a gap in service. As you know, moving is about a lot more than uprooting your family; it also involves a series of transitions ranging from choosing new doctors and vets to switching schools.
It’s important to plan each one out well in advance in order for your move to go smoothly. One of these tasks should be to transfer medical records for yourself as well as everyone in your family. Thanks to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you can take authority of your own records upon moving to a new town or when switching health care providers.
While the process can be confusing and time consuming, our movers can help you with the most stressful part: the actually move.
Here are some tips on how to efficiently transfer medical records when moving.
Find a New Doctor
The first step is to do some research on a new healthcare provider. You will need a primary care physician in your new city, as well as a pediatrician for your kids. You will also have to research specialists such as dermatologists, cardiologists and dentists, if applicable.
You will have to conduct a bit of research so you can narrow down a few to call with further inquiries. Once you have asked all the questions you want, you will have to settle on one doctor. Find out their contact information so you can notify your existing doctor to send your records to the new one.
Most doctors send medical records by fax, but some still do snail mail, particularly if the records are numerous.
Decide Which Records You Need
Find out from your new doctors which records they will need so you don’t send over unnecessary ones to clutter up your file. These can include immunizations, dental records with x-rays, past surgical records, or just the bare minimum such as office visits. Different providers may want different things so always ask beforehand.
Submit Authorization
Next, you will have to submit an authorization for the medical records you want from your current doctors. You may want to ask how long it will take to transfer the documents, and if they are electronic in nature or paper form. According to Unpakt, practitioners can’t charge you for transferring records directly to another doctor but they can charge a fee for copying and mailing those records directly to you.
Follow Up With Calls
Delays happen. The best way to avoid that is to follow up with diligence and persistence. First, make sure they received your request; second, ask if the transfer is in-progress. According to HIPAA, your doctor’s office has 30 days to complete the request. If you have to, remind them of the deadline.
Packing Up Your Records
If the records were mailed directly to you, you will have to make sure they get to the new house safely. That means packing them in an efficient manner so they don’t get damaged or lost. Pick up a waterproof container or file folder to ensure safe transport. Bring all files with you in your vehicle; don’t place them on the moving truck with all your other stuff.
This also serves to make it easier to find them upon unpacking. Plus, this is imperative for security purposes.
Contact All Star Movers and Storage
With a long-distance move coming up, you need peace of mind by hiring proven long-distance movers. To start off with a free quote, call us today.