🩺 How to Fax Medical Records as a Patient
Yes, you can fax your own medical records, or a request for them, from any country. Get the fax number from the office that will receive them, select its country (United States for a US clinic), type the number, and upload your pages. To a US number it costs $2.99 for up to 3 pages and $0.99 per extra page, so 10 pages is $9.92. OverseasFax is not HIPAA compliant and offers no BAA: it is for patients sending their own records, not for clinics or providers sending patient files.
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📋 In This Guide
Who This Is For, and Who It Is Not For
HIPAA rules apply to covered entities: health care providers, health plans and the businesses that handle records for them. A patient sending their own records is not a covered entity. You can send your own lab results, scan reports or discharge papers to whoever you choose, by any method you choose.
Providers are different. A clinic, hospital or doctor's office that faxes patient information has to use a service that will sign a business associate agreement. OverseasFax is not HIPAA compliant and offers no BAA, so it is not the right tool for a provider's office. It is the right tool for the patient, the parent or the adult child handling a parent's care, often from another country.
The rule: OverseasFax is for patients and their families sending their own records. A doctor's office, hospital or clinic sending patient information needs a fax service that signs a business associate agreement (BAA). We do not.
Requesting Your Records From a US Provider
Under the HIPAA right of access, you can ask a US provider for a copy of your records. A provider may require the request in writing, so many have their own authorization or records request form on their website. Use it if they have one; it is processed faster than a letter they have to interpret.
Once it has your request, the provider must act within 30 days. It can take one 30-day extension, but only with written notice telling you why. Any fee must be reasonable and cost-based. Fax the signed request to the records department, sometimes called health information management, at the fax number on the provider's form or website. If you cannot find one, call the records department and ask.
Fax your medical records, from $2.99
Having Records Sent Straight to Another Doctor
Often the easiest route is to have the old provider send your records directly. A provider can send records to a person you name if you make the request in writing, sign it, and clearly name the recipient. Include the new doctor's name, address and fax number.
HHS guidance says providers may fax patient information to another provider for treatment, with safeguards such as confirming the number and using a secure machine. So asking your old clinic to fax the records to your new doctor is a normal request. Your part is to fax the signed request; the provider sends the records through its own system.
Faxing Your Records to a Doctor in the US or Abroad
If you already hold the records, you can send them yourself. For a US office, select United States and type the 10 digits with no leading 1; our guide to US fax numbers covers the format. For a doctor abroad, select that doctor's country and enter the local number as their office gives it, for example a clinic in India, Nigeria or the Philippines.
Call or message the receiving office first and confirm the number. A wrong digit sends your records to a stranger, and that is the single biggest risk with any fax. Ask whether they want everything or only recent results; a specialist rarely needs 30 pages when 8 will do.
Fax your medical records, from $2.99
Preparing the Pages
Start with a cover page: the patient's full name and date of birth, the recipient's name and office, your phone or email, the date, the total page count, one line saying what is attached, and the word "Confidential". Put the patient's name and date of birth in a corner of every page so a loose sheet can be matched to the right chart.
Upload PDFs rather than phone photos. Fax is black and white at a fixed resolution, so scan at 200 dpi or more and check that small print on lab tables is readable on your own screen first. You can attach up to 10 files per fax, 100MB in total. Imaging films and color pictures do not survive fax well; send the written report instead and ask how the office prefers to receive the images.
What It Costs
To a US number: $2.99 for up to 3 pages, then $0.99 for each extra page, or $2.99 + (pages minus 3) x $0.99.
| Pages in the fax | Price to a US number | How it adds up |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | $2.99 | Base price covers the first 3 pages |
| 10 | $9.92 | $2.99 + 7 x $0.99 |
| 22 | $21.80 | $2.99 + 19 x $0.99 |
| 30 | $29.72 | $2.99 + 27 x $0.99 |
A records request is usually 1 to 3 pages, so $2.99. A set of results and summaries for a new doctor is often 10 to 30 pages. Prices to other countries depend on the country and are shown before you pay.
Fax your medical records, from $2.99
Insurance Paperwork Has Its Own Guides
Records sent to a health plan for an appeal or a prior authorization belong in our guide to faxing your health insurance company. Medical bills and records that support an auto, travel or life insurance claim are covered in faxing insurance claim documents. Evidence for a VA claim is in our Veterans Affairs guide.
Whatever you send, your confirmation email shows the destination number, the page count and the exact time the fax went through, in US Eastern Time. It is your dated record that it went through. If the office wants to fax something back, our sister service GetAFax.com gives you a US fax number for 24 hours for $5, with anything received sent to your email.
Why send it here
One price for the whole fax, shown before you pay, and nothing added at checkout.
Nothing is printed on your document. It arrives exactly as you uploaded it.
If it cannot be delivered, the money goes back to your card without you asking.
It works from anywhere. Send from any country, in any browser, with no account.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to fax medical records?
Is there a cheaper way to fax my medical records?
Can I fax medical records for free?
How much does it cost to fax 30 pages of medical records to a US doctor?
Can you fax medical records?
How do I fax a medical records request to a US hospital?
I live in Manila and my new doctor wants my US medical records, can I fax them myself?
Can I ask my US doctor to fax my records straight to another doctor?
How long does a US provider have to answer my medical records request?
Can a doctor's office charge me for a copy of my medical records?
Can a clinic or doctor's office use OverseasFax to send patient records?
I'm a patient, does HIPAA stop me from faxing my own medical records?
Where do I find the fax number for a hospital medical records department?
How do I enter a US clinic's fax number when I'm abroad?
Can a US hospital fax my medical records back to me overseas?
How long does it take to fax medical records?
How do I know my medical records fax went through?
Is faxing my medical records safe?
Why did my medical records fax fail?
What should I put on the cover page when faxing medical records?
Can I fax medical records to my health insurance company for an appeal?
Related Guides
📖 How to Fax Your Health Insurance Company
📖 Fax Insurance Claim Documents
📖 Fax Veterans Affairs From Abroad
📖 How to Fax to the USA Online
📖 How to Fax to Pakistan Online
📖 Send a Fax From Outside the United States
📖 Fax Without a Fax Machine or Fax Number
📖 Fax Workers' Comp Claim Documents
📖 Fax a Prior Authorization to a Drug Plan
📖 Fax a Patient Assistance Program Form
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