Bill · H.R. 7790· House(119-HR-7790)
Medical Records Access Fairness Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 3/4/2026
- Last activity
- 3/4/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Sponsored by
- Bill Foster
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Medical Records Access Fairness Act of 2026 aims to amend the HITECH Act. It seeks to allow individuals to obtain a copy of their protected health information at no cost. Under this bill, health care providers may only charge a fee under specific circumstances. These include requests for duplicate copies already provided in the same calendar year or requests for non-electronic copies that are available for free on an online portal. The bill also addresses the transmission of records between health care providers.
Yes
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
The bill helps low-income households by removing the financial barrier to accessing personal health information.
Would middle-income households be better off under this?+5
The bill provides cost savings to middle-class households seeking medical records.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+5
The bill enhances healthcare access by allowing patients to obtain medical records at no cost.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
No-cost access to health information: Individuals can obtain a copy or summary of their protected health-information at no cost, which prevents providers from charging fees for initial requests (Section 2, subsection f(1)(A)).
-
Family and provider access: If an individual expressly requests it, a health care provider or a family caregiver can also receive access to these records (Section 2, subsection f(1)(A)).
-
Easier transitions between doctors: When an individual requests a provider to send their information to another health care provider, the transmitting provider can use any form or format that is readily usable by the receiving provider (Section 2, subsection f(1)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Fees for duplicate requests: Individuals may still be charged a fee if they request a duplicate copy of information that was already provided to them within the same calendar year (Section 2, subsection f(1)(A)(i)).
-
Fees for non-electronic copies: A fee may be imposed if an individual requests a non-electronic copy of information that the provider has made available for free on an online portal (Section 2, subsection f(1)(A)(ii)).
-
No free access for attorneys: This bill does not require a health care provider to provide copies of protected health information to an individual's attorney at no cost (Section 2, subsection f(1)(C)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Middle Class Households+5
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+5
- 3/4/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Joyce BeattyDemocrat · Ohio