New York Medical Record Retrieval for Law Firms
New York caps copying at $0.75 a page and requires providers to allow inspection within 10 days, one of the tightest access rules in the country. LlamaLab returns records in 4 days on average, and 30 to 40% come back the same day.
New York caps record copying at $0.75 per page (Public Health Law § 17) and requires providers to permit inspection within 10 days of a written request (§ 18); the Health Department treats 10 to 14 days as a reasonable time for copies. Physicians keep records 6 years; hospitals 6 years from discharge. LlamaLab retrieves records in 4 days on average.
What New York providers can charge
The statutory copy-fee schedule under N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 17.
| Fee item | New York rule |
|---|---|
| Per-page copying | $0.75 per page, maximum |
| Search / handling fee | None specified |
| Caps & special rules | Free when records support a government benefit application; no charge for original mammograms |
| Statute | N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 17 |
Full 50-state schedule: medical record fees by state.
The two clocks on every New York request
Production deadline: Inspection within 10 days
Public Health Law § 18 requires providers to permit inspection of patient information within 10 days of a written request, and to furnish copies within a reasonable time; the state Health Department considers 10 to 14 days reasonable. The state rule prevails over HIPAA because it is stricter.
N.Y. Pub. Health Law § 18Retention: how long the chart exists
- Adult records
- 6 years (physicians); 6 years from discharge (hospitals)
- Minor records
- Until age 19 (physicians); until age 21 (hospitals); until age 22 (most other licensed professions)
Retention rules for all 50 states: medical record retention laws by state.
What this means for New York firms
The cheapest big-market rate
At $0.75 a page with no search fee specified, New York is one of the lowest-cost jurisdictions on paper. Invoices above the cap, or charges for mammogram originals, are challengeable on their face.
A 10-day lever most firms never pull
The 10-day inspection right in PHL § 18 is stricter than HIPAA, and the Health Department treats 10 to 14 days as the reasonable window for copies. Citing both in a follow-up letter shortens stalls.
Short retention, layered rules
Six years is among the shorter retention windows, and the minor rules differ by provider type: age 19 for physicians, 21 for hospitals, 22 for most other licensed professions. Date-of-loss math decides whether a chart still legally exists.
How LlamaLab retrieves New York records
Knowing the statute is half the job. The other half is a request pipeline that does not stall.
Records in 4 days on average
Nationally, records come back in 4 days on average and 30 to 40% arrive the same day. Follow-up, escalation, and state deadline tracking are handled for you.
Provider discovery
Clients forget treaters. Discovery across a 4M+ facility network surfaces New York providers the intake sheet never listed, so the file is complete the first time.
Compliant and per case
SOC 2 Type 2 certified, operating under a Business Associate Agreement, with chain-of-custody documentation on every download. Priced per case, with no platform or seat fees.
New York records: frequently asked questions
How much can a provider charge for medical records in New York?
No more than $0.75 per page (Public Health Law § 17). Records supporting a government benefit application are free, providers may not charge for original mammograms, and access cannot be denied solely because a patient cannot pay.
How long does a New York provider have to produce records?
Providers must permit inspection within 10 days of a written request under Public Health Law § 18 and furnish copies within a reasonable time; the state Health Department considers 10 to 14 days reasonable. Because the state rule is stricter than HIPAA, it prevails.
How long do New York providers keep medical records?
Physicians must keep records 6 years (Educ. Law § 6530(32)); hospitals 6 years from discharge (10 NYCRR 405.10). For minors: until age 19 for physicians, age 21 for hospitals, and age 22 for most other licensed professions.
How fast can LlamaLab retrieve New York medical records?
LlamaLab returns records in 4 days on average nationally, and 30 to 40% come back the same day. Provider discovery runs across a 4M+ facility network, so New York request sets include treatment the client never listed at intake.
Are record retrieval costs recoverable in New York cases?
A vendor retrieval invoice is a per-case disbursement the firm can advance and account for like any other case cost. In-house staff time spent chasing records is firm overhead that is never itemized or recovered.
Other states and resources
Stop chasing New York records
Records in 4 days on average, 30 to 40% same day, with state deadline tracking built in. Start a risk-free trial.