Why This Matters

 No patient should be left waiting weeks or months for the medical records and referrals they need to move forward with care. Yet across New York, patients continue to face delays, incomplete records, and lack of follow-up creating uncertainty and unnecessary barriers during critical moments in their health journey. Federal law establishes baseline patient access rights, but states like New York have the authority to set clearer standards, stronger timelines, and real accountability when requirements are not met. New York oversees hospitals and healthcare facilities through licensing and regular inspections, giving the state the authority to require timely access to medical records and referrals. In today’s digital healthcare environment, extended delays are outdated and harmful.

Nationally, failure to provide timely access to medical records is the most common patient access complaint. For New York patients, delays in records and referrals can mean postponed appointments, disconnected care, and increased stress while patients are left to manage the process on their own. This is not just about paperwork. Delays in records and referrals affect real people trying to get care. Clear timelines, confirmed delivery, and consistent oversight can prevent unnecessary disruption and strengthen patient protections across New York. Patients should not have to fight for information that already belongs to them. 

My Story 

I’m Cortina, also known as Lefty. I started this petition after delays in my medical records and referrals disrupted my care during a major surgery and recovery.

My experience was not limited to medical records. I also faced delays in getting referrals needed to see specialists. At times, I waited weeks for approvals, and in some instances referrals were marked as sent without confirmation that they had actually been received. Without clear follow-up, I found myself making repeated calls just to understand the status of my own care.

During an already vulnerable time, these delays created uncertainty and stress when the focus should have been on healing and moving forward with treatment.

For many women recovering from major surgery, timely access to records and referrals is essential to understanding what happened, planning next steps, and continuing care without prolonged delays.

I created a clock that reads “Medical Records Now” to represent the time patients lose waiting for their own information. Every tick represents lost time appointments postponed, decisions delayed, and families left in uncertainty. The human cost is real.

When access is delayed, patients face added stress, disruption in care, and unnecessary obstacles during already vulnerable moments. These experiences reflect broader challenges many patients face when trying to access their records and referrals. Delays and lack of confirmation can increase stress and make navigating care more difficult. This petition exists to advocate for clearer standards, reliable follow-up, and timely access so patients are not left waiting or uncertain about their own care. 

This Is Not an Isolated Experience

Nationally, failure to provide timely access to medical records is the most common type of patient access complaint filed with federal regulators. This demonstrates that delays in records and referrals are not isolated incidents  they are part of a broader systemic issue affecting patients across the country. In New York, stronger, clearly enforced standards can help prevent these delays before they disrupt care.

Proof It Can Work

Some states already demonstrate that stronger timelines are achievable. California law requires inspection of medical records within 5 days and copies within 15 days, without extensions. Texas requires medical records to be provided within 15 business days. These examples show that clearer, faster timelines are possible. If other states can implement defined standards for timely access, New York can lead with strong, enforceable protections for its patients.

Our Ask

We call on New York lawmakers and state heath leaders to implement the following:

1. Full disclosure of medical records — All medical records must be released, not partial or incomplete files.
2. Copies within 15 calendar days — with no extensions, with confirmation that the complete record was delivered.
3. Inspection access within 5 calendar days for patients requesting to review their records.
4. Referrals sent within 7 calendar days, with confirmation that the specialist or facility received the referral.
5. Mandatory follow-up and confirmation— Providers and facilities must implement documented follow-up processes for both medical records and referrals.
6. A single, nationally standardized HIPAA-compliant medical records release form must be adopted and required for use by all providers and facilities statewide to prevent delays caused by inconsistent paperwork.
7. Clear accountability, enforcement and stronger penalties when providers or facilities fail to provide full disclosure of medical records or referrals are not sent within the required timeframe.  

Share Your Story

If you have experienced delays in receiving medical records or delays related to referrals in New York, your voice matters. You can share your experience here: https://forms.gle/X7RsmhWxHLoZRG61A

Stories may be shared publicly with consent or used in summary form to support stronger patient protections. 

Call to Action

Health can't wait. Sign and share this petition to support timely access to medical records and referrals for patients across New York.