Indiana Medical Record Fees: The 2025-2026 Statutory Guide
In Indiana, the amount a provider can charge for medical records is governed by IC 16-39-9. Following major legislative reforms in 2025, Indiana now has some of the most strictly capped electronic record fees in the United States, designed to ensure patients and their representatives are not price-gouged for digital access.
1. Current Statutory Fee Schedule (2026)
Under current Indiana law, providers are prohibited from charging “retrieval” or “search” fees. The fee structure is split clearly between paper and electronic formats:
| Service Type | Paper Format Fee | Electronic Format Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Search & Retrieval | $0.00 (Prohibited) | $0.00 (Prohibited) |
| Base Record Fee | $1.00 per page (first 10) | $6.50 Total (Flat fee) |
| Additional Pages | $0.50 (11-50); $0.25 (51+) | $0.00 (Included) |
| Third-Party Service Fee | N/A | $2.50 (Max vendor charge) |
| Certification Fee | $5.00 (Maximum) | $5.00 (Maximum) |
The “Electronic Flat-Fee” Rule
Under IC 16-39-9-2, a provider cannot charge more than $6.50 for producing a patient’s medical record in electronic form. This is a hard cap. Furthermore, if the provider uses a third-party vendor (like Ciox or Datavant) to process the request, that vendor is capped at a $2.50 service fee.
2. Historical Auditing (Pre-July 2025 Rates)
If you are auditing an older invoice for a request made prior to the 2025 legislative overhaul, the following “sliding scale” rates (formerly 760 IAC 1-71-3) were likely applied:
- Labor/Search Fee: Up to $20.00 (If this was charged, the first 10 pages had to be free).
- Pages 11–50: $0.50 per page.
- Pages 51+: $0.25 per page.
- Certification Fee: Up to $20.00.
- Expedite Fee: $10.00 (If provided within 2 working days).
3. Mandatory Free Records (Disability Claims)
Indiana law mandates a total fee waiver for individuals seeking disability benefits. Under IC 16-39-9-5:
“A provider shall provide one (1) free copy of a patient’s medical record… to apply for or appeal a denial of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).”
This waiver applies to both the patient and their legal representative (attorney). Providers are also strictly prohibited from charging for billing statements in these cases.
Audit Tip for Indiana Paralegals
The most common violation in Indiana is the inclusion of a “Retrieval Fee” or “Labor Fee.” Under the current statute, the Indiana Department of Insurance is prohibited from adopting any rule that allows a retrieval fee for electronic records.
If you receive an invoice for an electronic record that looks like this:
- Retrieval Fee: $20.00
- Per Page Fee: $0.50
- Total: $75.00
This is illegal in Indiana as of 2026. The maximum allowable charge for that entire electronic request is $6.50 (plus a $2.50 vendor fee if applicable). Always dispute any “Search” or “Retrieval” line items on a 2026 Indiana medical record invoice.
Audit Your Invoice
If you believe an Indiana provider is overcharging for copies, our auditor is pre-set with both the $6.50 electronic cap and the historical sliding scale for older files.
Not sure if your invoice is accurate? Use our Medical Record Fee Calculator to audit your charges against these Indiana statutes.
Please understand that the materials on this web page are for general information purposes only, and is not intended as legal advice.