How to Obtain Medical Records, Itemized Bills & Radiology from Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente operates as an integrated health plan, hospital system (Kaiser Foundation Hospitals), and medical group (Permanente Medical Groups) across eight regions. Unlike non-integrated community hospitals, Kaiser Permanente divides Release of Information (ROI) strictly by geographic region (Northern California, Southern California, Northwest, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, and Mid-Atlantic States) and separates voluntary HIPAA authorization requests from civil subpoenas duces tecum.
Kaiser Permanente Record Retrieval Profile
- ROI Processing Model
- Regional Release of Information (ROI) Units (Northern California, Southern California, Northwest, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Mid-Atlantic) + Dedicated Legal/Subpoena Units
- Primary States & Statutory Jurisdiction
- CA, OR, WA, CO, GA, HI, MD, VA, DC
- Critical Retrieval & Subpoena Notes
- To find your Kaiser Medical Record Number (MRN), check the front of your physical or digital kp.org member ID card. For immunization records, active members can download their vaccination ledger free inside kp.org under 'Medical Record' -> 'Immunizations'. For complete inpatient charts, ER records, itemized billing statements, or certified trial records, separate regional ROI requests are required.
The 3-Department Routing Split at Kaiser Permanente
A standard medical record request sent only to Health Information Management (HIM) will almost never return itemized billing ledgers or native DICOM imaging. Below is how Kaiser Permanente separates record production across three distinct units:
| Department Unit | Document Deliverable | Routing & Retrieval Protocol |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clinical HIM / Release of Information | Discharge Summaries, Operative Notes, ED Nursing Logs, Labs | Regional Kaiser Permanente Release of Information (ROI) Department (Separate units for NorCal, SoCal, NW, CO, GA, HI, MAS) |
| 2. Patient Financial Services (Billing) | Itemized UB-04 (Facility) & CMS-1500 (Physician) Ledgers with CPT/ICD-10 | Kaiser Foundation Health Plan / Hospitals Patient Financial Services & Third-Party Liability (Subrogation / Equian / Rawlings) |
| 3. Radiology Film Library (PACS) | Native DICOM Imaging Studies (MRI, CT, X-Ray, Ultrasound) | Regional Kaiser Diagnostic Imaging / Film Library (Requests for raw MRI/CT/X-Ray DICOM CDs must specify 'Diagnostic Imaging Studies') |
State Statutory Copying Fee Caps Governing Kaiser Permanente
While direct-to-patient requests under 45 CFR § 164.524(c)(4) qualify for the federal cost-based labor rate, third-party attorney and subpoena requests to Kaiser Permanente are governed by the statutory per-page fee schedule of the state where treatment was rendered:
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 123110, Cal. Evid. Code § 1158 & § 1563 • 15 calendar days for copies under Cal. Health & Safety Code § 123110(b) (5 working days for pre-suit attorney inspection under Evid. Code § 1158)!
Or. Rev. Stat. § 192.563 • 30 calendar days
RCW 70.02.010(38), RCW 70.02.080 & WAC 246-08-400 • 15 working days after receipt of written request under RCW 70.02.080(1)!
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 25-1-801 & 6 CCR 1011-1 • 30 calendar days (10 days for inpatient discharge inspection)
O.C.G.A. § 31-33-2 & § 31-33-3 • 30 calendar days
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 622-57 • 30 calendar days
Md. Code, Health-Gen. § 4-304 • 21 working days under Md. Code, Health-Gen. § 4-304(a)(1)!
Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-413 • 30 calendar days (15 days after subpoena notice under § 8.01-413)
D.C. Code § 3-1205.11a & 22-B DCMR § 2031 • 30 calendar days