HFMA ROI Article Click here to view the HFMA ROI article. HSI reimburses hospitals for photocopies HIS (HealthSystems of Illinois) sent a memo to all hospitals stating the following: HSI reimburses hospitals for photocopies of charts requested and received for retrospective review of participants in the Illinois Medicaid Assistance Program. The reimbursement rate has increased to $0.10 per page effective 06/01/06. For a two-sided copy the reimbursement is $0.20 cents. The reimbursement will be mailed quarterly to the attention of the Medicaid Liaison. The reimbursement and listing for all cases received by HSI for the time period listed above. April 2006 – May 2006 - $0.07 per page June 2006 - $0.10 per page If there are any questions about the process and/or this information, please contact the HSI helpline at (800) 418-4045. Copy Fee Questions In response to the questions we've received regarding annual adjustment for copying fees, please see the following excerpts from Illinois Statutes. This first one states that the IL Comptroller has the authority to adjust copy fees every Jan. 20: (735 ILCS 5/8-2006) Sec. 8-2006. Copying fees; adjustment for inflation. Beginning in 2003, every January 20, the copying fee limits established in Sections 8-2001, 8-2003, 8-2004, and 8-2005 shall automatically be increased or decreased, as applicable, by a percentage equal to the percentage change in the consumer price index-u during the preceding 12-month calendar year. "Consumer price index-u" means the index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor that measures the average change in prices of goods and services purchased by all urban consumers, United States city average, all items, 1982-84 = 100. The new amount resulting from each annual adjustment shall be determined by the Comptroller and made available to the public on January 20 of every year. (Source: P.A. 92-228, eff. 9-1-01.) The following explains that "practitioner" means any health care practitioner and therefore the statute applies to all physicians whether in a hospital or clinic or private office. (735 ILCS 5/8-2003) (from Ch. 110, par. 8-2003) Sec. 8-2003. Records of health care practitioners. In this Section, "practitioner" means any health care practitioner, including a physician, dentist, podiatrist, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, clinical psychologist, or clinical social worker. The term includes a medical office, health care clinic, health department, group practice, and any other organizational structure for a licensed professional to provide health care services. The term does not include a health care facility as defined in Section 8-2001. Every practitioner shall, upon the request of any patient who has been treated by such practitioner, permit the patient and the patient's practitioner or authorized attorney to examine and copy the patient's records, including but not limited to those relating to the diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, history, charts, pictures and plates, kept in connection with the treatment of such patient. Such request for examining and copying of the records shall be in writing and shall be delivered to such practitioner. Such written request shall be complied with by the practitioner within a reasonable time after receipt by him or her at his or her office or any other place designated by him or her. The requirements of this Section shall be satisfied within 30 days of the receipt of a written request. If the practitioner needs more time to comply with the request, then within 30 days after receiving the request, the practitioner must provide the requesting party with a written statement of the reasons for the delay and the date by which the requested information will be provided. In any event, the practitioner must provide the requested information no later than 60 days after receiving the request. The practitioner shall be reimbursed by the person requesting such records at the time of such copying, for all reasonable expenses, including the costs of independent copy service companies, incurred by the practitioner in connection with such copying not to exceed a $20 handling charge for processing the request for copies, and 75 cents per page for the first through 25th pages, 50 cents per page for the 26th through 50th pages, and 25 cents per page for all pages in excess of 50 (except that the charge shall not exceed $1.25 per page for any copies made from microfiche or microfilm), and actual shipping costs. These rates shall be automatically adjusted as set forth in Section 8-2006. The physician or other practitioner may, however, charge for the reasonable cost of all duplication of record material or information that cannot routinely be copied or duplicated on a standard commercial photocopy machine such as x-ray films or pictures. A health care practitioner must provide the public with at least 30 days prior notice of the closure of the practitioner's practice. The notice must include an explanation of how copies of the practitioner's records may be accessed by patients. The notice may be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the area in which the health care practitioner's practice is located. Failure to comply with the time limit requirement of this Section shall subject the denying party to expenses and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred in connection with any court ordered enforcement of the provisions of this Section. (Source: P.A. 92-228, eff. 9-1-01; 93-87, eff. 7-2-03.)Regards, ILHIMA