How to Dispose of Patient Records
Hospitals, insurance agencies, medical billing companies and other healthcare organizations are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). These confidentiality requirements demand special care when disposing of medical records.
Contact Us
Destroy Medical Records With Confidential Shredding Services
The safest way to dispose of patient records is shredding. This process ensures no sensitive information that could put a patient’s identity and health information at risk can be recovered from the trash. With medical information costing 50 times the price of credit card information on the black market, identity thieves will use any method to get this data.
Given the high volume of medical records your organization handles, shredding in-house may not be the most accessible or efficient approach. Bulk shredding services can help. With a provider like TrueShred, you can properly dispose of patient records while complying with privacy laws. TrueShred is NAID AAA certified, so our team adheres to strict guidelines to keep our shredding services completely secure.
How Long Should You Retain Patient Medical Records?
State laws determine how long your organization must retain medical records before disposal. During retention, keep these records secure in locked filing cabinets or rooms with clear access controls to protect the information inside.
TrueShred operates in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Retention requirements for these states are as follows:
- Washington, D.C.: Hospitals must retain records for 10 years following discharge. Physicians can destroy medical records after three years.
- Maryland: Providers must keep records for five years.
- Virginia: Hospitals must retain records for five years. Physicians must keep records for six years.
Dispose of Hospital Records With TrueShred
As a secure document shredding company, TrueShred keeps patient information confidential during disposal. We provide on-site and off-site medical shredding services, as well as one-time paper shredding to work for your needs. Get in touch with us today to get a pricing estimate.
”I have worked with several document destruction companies over the past ten years and until contracting with TrueShred, I hadn’t met a company with which I felt so compelled to share with professional colleagues. TrueShred’s personnel are always polite, considerate, timely and attentive. . . I trust all of my future shredding needs to TrueShred!”
READ MORE
