What Happens to Your Medical Records When You Switch Doctors in Las Vegas

The short answer

Your chart doesn't follow you automatically. When you leave a doctor in Las Vegas, whether you moved across the valley, changed insurance, or just want a different fit, your records stay filed with that practice (or its parent health system) until you actively request a transfer. You have a legal right to get copies, and Nevada has its own retention rules on top of the federal floor. This page covers the actual mechanics, the real fee anchors, and where transfers get stuck. It is educational information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or the practice's records department about your specific chart.

Your legal right to get a copy

Under HIPAA, enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, patients generally have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of their medical records, typically within 30 days of a written request, with one possible 30-day extension if the provider notifies you in writing. This applies whether you're switching primary care doctors, specialists, or entire practices, and it's a federal minimum that Las Vegas providers cannot shrink.

There's also a more direct protection that many patients don't know about: under the information blocking provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act, enforced by the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (formerly the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT), practices generally cannot delay, withhold, or refuse access to your electronic health information for reasons like an unpaid balance. If a practice tells you they're holding your records hostage over a bill, that's worth pushing back on and, if needed, reporting.

How long Nevada practices have to keep your chart

Nevada sets its own retention clock. Under NRS 629.051, providers must retain adult patient health care records for at least 5 years after the last date of treatment. Records for minors generally must be kept longer, commonly until the patient turns 23, reflecting the extended statute of limitations for minors. Retention periods can run longer depending on provider type (hospitals, for instance, may follow different schedules), so if you're trying to recover an old chart from years back, ask the specific practice or facility what their retention policy is rather than assuming the 5-year floor is the ceiling too.

What it actually costs

There is a real federal anchor here, not just "it varies." Under HHS guidance implementing the Cures Act Access Right, providers can choose to charge patients a flat fee of $6.50 for an electronic copy of records sent electronically, as a simplified alternative to calculating actual cost. Some Las Vegas practices use that flat rate; others calculate their own cost-based fee under HIPAA's "reasonable, cost-based fee" standard, and paper copies are frequently priced per page instead, which can push the total higher for a large or old paper chart. There is no single citable Las Vegas price list. Ask the records office for their fee schedule in writing before you submit a request, and ask specifically whether electronic delivery gets you the $6.50 rate.

How the transfer actually happens

1. You, or your new doctor's office with your written authorization, submit a records request to the old practice.
2. The old practice verifies your identity and that a valid authorization is on file.
3. Records go out by secure fax, a patient portal export, mailed paper or CD, or a direct electronic health record (EHR) exchange if both practices' systems can talk to each other.
4. The new practice reviews what arrives, which may be a visit summary rather than your complete chart unless you specifically requested more.

The one Las Vegas-specific shortcut worth knowing about: HealtHIE Nevada, the state's designated health information exchange, allows some hospital networks and affiliated practices in the Las Vegas area to share clinical data electronically instead of by fax. Not every independent or small practice participates, so ask your old and new doctor's offices directly whether they connect through it. Where neither system is on the exchange and they don't share an EHR vendor, fax and mailed paper are still common, which is a national interoperability gap, not a Nevada-only problem.

Practical checklist

• Line up your new doctor first, if possible, so you know exactly where records should be sent.
• Request the practice's official "release of medical records" or "authorization to disclose" form. A phone call alone usually isn't sufficient.
• Specify scope: full chart, last few years, specific labs, imaging, immunizations. Narrower requests generally move faster.
• Ask about delivery format. Portal download or secure electronic transfer is typically faster and, under the $6.50 flat-fee option, potentially cheaper than paper.
• Get turnaround time and any fee in writing before you submit the request.
• Check your patient portal now, before you switch, for any records you can export yourself immediately (visit summaries, labs, immunization history).
• For imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT), request the actual images or disc from the imaging facility separately, not just the written report. Radiology systems are often separate from the main chart.
• Keep your own digital, backed-up copy of everything you receive so you're not repeating this at your next switch.
• If you're changing practices due to an insurance network change, confirm network status with your plan separately from the records request.
• If a practice cites an unpaid bill

Related in this guide

• Direct Primary Care in Las Vegas: The Complete Patient Guide
• How to Switch to a Direct Primary Care Doctor in Las Vegas
• What Direct Primary Care Includes and Excludes in Las Vegas