Legal to charge 500$ for copy of medical file

When managing access rights, organisations should take note that while the access right has to be provided for free, it is possible for an organisation to charge a reasonable amount for a copy (photocopy) of the documents requested. What is considered a “reasonable amount”?

A local paper reported yesterday a recent case (June 2015) in which the Quebec Commission d’Accès à l’Information has confirmed that a hospital was within its rights to charge an amount of $529,20 to a patient requesting a copy of her medical file. The file was 1450 pages long, and while the patient was entitled to access and view the physical file at the hospital for free, the CAI determined that the hospital could legally charge an amount of $0,37 per page when requested by a patient to provide a copy of the said file.

To view a copy of the decision, click here.

This content has been updated on November 6, 2015 at 23 h 09 min.