Health Agent · Your records, your right
Your records are yours. Ask for them the right way.
Under federal law, you can demand a copy of your own medical record and the provider has 30 days to respond. Most people ask informally and wait forever. Build the request the law recognizes — and start the clock that gives you leverage.
Step 1 · Build the request
Your right-of-access letter
Fill these in. The letter is assembled right here in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded or saved. Copy it, then email, mail, or hand it to the provider's medical-records department.
Step 2 · Track the clock
When is their answer due?
Once the provider receives your request, the 30-day clock starts. Enter the date they got it and see the deadline — and what to do if it passes.
Deadline result
In one line
You have a federal right to your own records, on a 30-day clock, for a reasonable fee. The request and the deadline are computed on your device — Health Agent never sees your name, your details, or who your provider is.
Your rights
What 45 CFR §164.524 gives you
- A 30-day response.A provider must act on your request within 30 calendar days of receiving it.
- At most one 30-day extension.They may take one extension of up to 30 more days, but only with a written notice giving the reason and the new date — sent within the first 30 days.
- The format you ask for, when feasible.If records are electronic, you can ask for an electronic copy.
- A reasonable, cost-based fee — or less.Any charge must be limited to reasonable cost; some states cap it lower.
- A way to escalate.If a provider ignores the law, you can file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights.
Read the rule and your options at hhs.gov.
How it works
Why this is safe with your real information
This page builds the letter and computes the deadline in the browser you already have open. What you type — your name, your provider, your dates — stays on your device. There is no upload and nothing you type is stored; close the tab and it's gone. A free account simply lets you copy the finished letter to keep. See the proof →
This is a drafting and deadline aid, not legal advice, and it does not file anything for you. When you have the records, the next move is often the appeal itself — decode the denial and check your appeal deadline.
Questions
Common questions
Does my name or any detail get sent anywhere?
No. The letter is assembled by code already running in your browser — what you type never travels over the network and is not stored. (The page counts an anonymous view when it loads, with nothing you typed.)
Can they really only take 30 days?
Under 45 CFR §164.524 a provider must act on your request within 30 calendar days. They may take one extension of up to 30 more days, but only if they give you a written notice with the reason and the new date within the first 30 days.
What if they charge a huge fee or ignore me?
Fees must be limited to a reasonable, cost-based amount, and some states cap them lower. If a provider overcharges or ignores the law, you can file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights.
Is this legal advice?
No. This builds a request letter and tracks the deadline — it is not legal or medical advice, it does not file anything for you, and it does not guarantee an outcome. Confirm your specifics at hhs.gov or with a licensed advisor. Health Agent is not affiliated with or endorsed by HHS.