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Limits when health care providers may charge individuals for copies or summaries of their protected health information (PHI). It generally bars fees except for duplicate requests within the same calendar year or when a patient asks for a non‑electronic copy that the provider already made available for free via an online portal. It also permits transmitting providers to send PHI to another provider in any form or format that is readily usable by the receiving provider and requires HHS to issue implementing regulations within six months; the rules apply to access requests made on or after 180 days after enactment.
The bill expands and speeds free electronic access to health records and clarifies implementation timing, improving patient access and care coordination, but shifts costs and compliance burdens onto providers and risks leaving people without internet access or legal representation worse off.
Patients (including those with chronic conditions and the uninsured) gain free electronic access to their protected health information and providers are incentivized to maintain patient portals, reducing out‑of‑pocket costs and improving online access to records.
Patients (especially those receiving care across providers) and healthcare workers benefit because transmitting providers may send records in any readily usable form/format, which can speed care coordination and clinical decision‑making.
Hospitals, health systems, and providers get regulatory clarity because HHS must issue implementing rules within six months, giving a definite timeline for compliance expectations.
Hospitals and providers may incur additional administrative and technology costs to deliver free electronic copies and maintain portals, costs that could be passed to patients or taxpayers or lead to reduced services.
Individuals without reliable internet access (including uninsured and rural populations) could still face fees or practical barriers if they need non‑electronic or paper copies that replicate portal content, worsening disparities.
The six‑month HHS rulemaking deadline may force hurried rule development and impose short‑term compliance burdens and costs on providers and regulators.
Introduced March 4, 2026 by Bill Foster · Last progress March 4, 2026