How to Request Your Medical Records After an Arizona Crash (A.R.S. § 12-2293)

In Arizona, you have the right to ask your health care providers for your medical records and payment records in writing, and the law sets response deadlines that run from ten business days to thirty calendar days depending on why you are asking. After a crash, that right is the foundation of an organized recovery file: you cannot track your treatment, check your bills, or answer questions about your injuries without the records themselves.

What the law says you can request

Under A.R.S. § 12-2293, when a patient (or the patient's health care decision maker) makes a written request for access to or copies of the patient's medical records and payment records, the provider who holds them must provide access or copies promptly. Notice that "payment records" are included — that means the billing side of your care, not just the clinical notes. After a crash, both matter: clinical records show what was diagnosed and when, and payment records show what was charged and what has been paid.

Put the request in writing, even if the front desk says a phone call is enough. A dated written request gives you a clear starting point for the deadline and a paper trail if something goes missing.

How fast does the provider have to respond?

The statute sets specific time frames that apply "notwithstanding any other provision" of the section, and they depend on the purpose of the request:

• Upcoming medical treatment: within ten business days if the records are less than twelve months old and kept in the provider's current electronic health record system, or within fifteen business days if they are twelve months old or older and kept in that system.
• Other purposes: within thirty calendar days. The statute lists examples including litigation, a patient's request for personal copies that are not tied to upcoming treatment (including when the records are otherwise available through a patient portal), life insurance, requests from payors and schools, and records of a deceased patient.

So if you are asking so a new specialist can review your history, say so in the request — it may shorten the timeline. If you simply want your own copies for your file, plan on up to thirty days. If your records are available through a patient portal, check there first; it is often the fastest route.

What can the provider charge?

A.R.S. § 12-2295 allows a provider to charge "a reasonable fee for the reproduction of the records" and, in general, to require payment in advance unless the records are needed for ongoing care. The same section lists situations where no fee applies, including when records go to another provider for continuity of care or to the patient for the purpose of obtaining health care services. The statute does not set a dollar amount, so ask the provider's records department for its fee schedule before you send the request.

When can a provider refuse?

Access is not unlimited. Section 12-2293 lists narrow grounds for denial, such as a health professional's determination that access is reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the patient or another person, or that the records reference a third party and access is reasonably likely to cause that person substantial harm. For most crash patients asking for their own treatment and billing records, these exceptions will not come up — but if a provider denies or ignores a request, ask for the reason in writing.

A practical checklist

1. Make a list of every provider you have seen since the crash: emergency room, urgent care, primary care, imaging centers, therapists, pharmacies.
2. Send each one a written request that names the patient, the date range, and whether you want medical records, payment records, or both.
3. State the purpose (for example, "continuing treatment with a new provider") if it applies.
4. Note the date you sent each request and the date you receive each response.
5. File everything in the system described in our guide on how to organize your medical records and bills after an Arizona crash.

Requesting records early also helps you spot problems — a missing visit, an incorrect date, or a bill for care you never received. And because gaps in documentation can matter later, our article on treatment gaps and consistent care after a crash explains why a complete record is worth the effort.

This article is general information about medical records access in Arizona, not legal or medical advice. For questions about your specific situation, consult your provider's records department or a licensed Arizona attorney.

Sources

• Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-2293, Release of medical records and payment records to patients and health care decision makers: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/12/02293.htm
• Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-2295, Medical records; charges: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/12/02295.htm