Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care and Ciox Health, a medical records management company, agreed to pay $35.4 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that claimed the organizations overcharged for medical record requests, according to Top Class Actions.
Individuals who were required to pay a medical records request fee of $22.58 by Ciox Health, IOD, HealthPort, Aurora Health Care or Columbia St. Mary's hospital in Milwaukee may benefit from the settlement, according to the report. Ciox Health is the result of a 2015 merger between healthcare technology companies HealthPort, IOD, Care Communications and ECS.
Ciox Health and Aurora Health Care allegedly inappropriately charged for the medical record requests between July 1, 2011, and Aug. 1, 2019. Wisconsin law states that every patient has the right to view and receive a copy of their medical records, according to the report. The fees were allegedly charged both to patients as well as individuals who were authorized to access medical records on the patient's behalf.
Ciox Health and Aurora Health Care said they agreed to the settlement because "there was ambiguity as to whether they would succeed at trial," the publication reports.
Individuals who paid a fee to access medical records will be able to make a claim for a cash payment for approximately twice the amount originally paid in fees, according to the report.