Medical Records
Our goal at Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan (OAM) is to give you timely access to your health information in an accurate and secure fashion.
How do I get a copy of my medical records?
Office notes, operative reports, lab pathology reports, Independent Medical Exam (IME), Cardiology/EKG reports, radiology/X-ray/MRI images or reports, etc.
Our staff is committed to keeping your Protected Health Information (PHI) private while providing you with the ability to manage your healthcare.
You may use the the Patient Portal to request that your records (excluding radiology/X-ray/MRI images) be uploaded to your portal. This service is free.
All other methods of records release require the patient to request their medical records through Ciox, a professional third-party service that OAM contracts with and that specializes in protecting your health information.
Request Your Medical Records
Ciox will bill you for a copy of medical records in accordance with Michigan law. Once your request is received, you will receive an invoice for the anticipated cost of retrieving your record.
After you submit your form, you can expect to receive your records within 7–10 business days.
If you have any questions, please call Medical Records at (616) 459-7101, ext. 1170, Monday – Friday, 8 am – 4:30 pm.
All other form requests for the Medical Records Department
Disability, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Unemployment, ADA, Return to Work, etc.
Contact your Human Resources Department: Obtain the necessary forms from your Human Resources department or disability company. It is the patient’s responsibility to complete his/her employer’s forms and provide them to our Medical Records Department.
Authorization is Required: Complete one Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan (OAM) Forms Request for each one of your employer’s forms. The OAM Forms Request(s) will be good for one year unless otherwise stated in writing.
Cost per Request: OAM contracts with Ciox, a professional third-party service that specializes in protecting your health information. The cost for them to process your paperwork is $30 per form. We must receive payment along with your OAM Forms Request(s) before the process can be initiated. You can contact Medical Records to make the payment over the phone at (616) 459-7101 ext. 1880, or you can include a check payable to Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan with your form(s).
Submit Your Paperwork for Completion: Submit your employer’s forms, the OAM Forms Request(s), and the $30 payment for each form that needs to be processed. You can submit your paperwork by:
- Fax to: (616) 336-5042
- Email to: forms@oamichigan.com
- Drop it off at any of our office locations: 1111 Leffingwell Ave. NE, 555 MidTowne NE
Follow up with Your Employer: It will take approximately 7-10 business days for your paperwork to be completed and submitted. Follow up with your Human Resources department or disability company to ensure that they have received your completed paperwork.
Status of Forms: If you need to check on the status of your paperwork, please call Medical Records at (616) 459-7101, ext. 1880, Monday – Friday 8 am – 4:30 pm.
How do I request a change to my medical record?
Under the Privacy Rule, an individual has the right to amend protected health information maintained by this office. Amending protected health information does not mean making changes in stored data, although such changes are allowed under HIPAA.
Our Notice of Privacy Practices states that we may deny an individual’s request for amendment to protected health information. The notice also states that an individual has the right to submit a disagreement to a denial for a requested amendment. We would then provide a rebuttal to any disagreement to the individual and deliver copies of any such denial and/or rebuttal. Requests for amendments to protected health information, denials, disagreements, and rebuttals may be reviewed by the Compliance and Privacy Managers who may elect to have such disagreements reviewed by the Compliance Committee for possible reconsideration.
The patient must complete the Request for Amendment Form completely. If not complete, the form may be sent back to you, which may delay processing time.
Submit your request by:
- Fax to: (616) 336-5042
- Email to: forms@oamichigan.com
- Drop it off at any of our office locations: 1111 Leffingwell Ave. NE, 555 MidTowne NE
If you have any questions about completing this form, please call 616-459-7101, ext. 1880, Monday – Friday 8 am – 4:30 pm.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do I have to pay to get a copy of my medical record?
Michigan state law has taken into consideration the substantial cost undertaken by healthcare organizations for the management of medical records. As a result, the state of Michigan allows healthcare organizations to bill patients for copies of their medical records. This is meant to help keep the cost of other healthcare-related services down.
How do I get you to send a copy of my medical record to an insurance company, employer, healthcare organization, or other third party?
When you complete our Medical Record Release Authorization in its entirety you may indicate who should receive the records and where. If the form is complete and compliant, your records will be sent where required after processing. In most cases, the third party that you are sending to will also provide you with a HIPAA Compliant Release Authorization Form. We gladly accept this type of form instead of our form. We accept any HIPAA Compliant Release Authorization Form.