Halifax woman says copies of family medical records will cost hundreds
A Halifax woman is outraged after learning she would have to pay hundreds of dollars to access copies of her family’s medical records.
Cornelia Schneider recently received a letter that her doctor is closing their practice and leaving the Maritimes. If being without a family doctor isn’t difficult enough, she now has to pay a fee to access her medical records.
“That same letter also stated that our medical records would go into storage with some company,” Schneider tells CTV Atlantic.
The company, Docudavit Solutions, is used by doctors to store patient records, a common practice to ensure medical information is kept secure.
Schneider says the cost, $95 for adults and $65 for children, is simply too much.
According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, doctors are strongly encouraged to securely retain original records for ten years.
That’s where companies like Docudavit come in. They provide copies to people that want their medical records for a fee.
“It’s not a part of the health insurance so there’s fee schedules across the country,” said Sid Soil of Docuvait. “Depending on what province you’re in, they vary, and we conform to the fee schedule in each province.”
Soil says the fee structure can vary depending on a patient’s ability to pay.
“We’ll make arrangements for a fee that you can afford and make arrangements to provide your medical records at no cost,” said Soil.
As for Schneider, she is still hoping to find a new doctor.
“Call Nova Scotia Health to get on that waitlist, and add another four people to that waitlist and hope for the best,” she said.
That waitlist is one more reason Schneider wants access to her medical records.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.