HARRISBURG, PA — Thousands of former Crozer Health patients, including Medicaid recipients, will now have free access to their personal medical records following a federal bankruptcy court ruling finalized this week, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced.
The agreement comes amid the closure of the Crozer Health hospital system by Prospect Medical Holdings and addresses mounting concerns that patients seeking new providers were being charged per-record fees. The Office of Attorney General intervened last month after learning that many former Crozer patients were facing potentially significant costs to obtain essential health records.
“This resolution will have significant impact for patients who otherwise could encounter hundreds of dollars in fees for necessary records,” Attorney General Sunday said. He added that the decision eases the financial and logistical burden for thousands of Pennsylvanians navigating care transitions following the system’s shutdown.
Under the agreement, the Foundation for Delaware County will provide $3 million to cover expenses related to obtaining records for up to 43,000 affected patients. However, the settlement does not reimburse those who have already paid fees.
The resolution stems from federal and state laws regulating costs associated with patient medical records and ensures compliance as Crozer’s operations wind down.
With Crozer’s closure forcing many patients to find new healthcare providers, the ruling is intended to protect access to critical medical information while minimizing financial strain on impacted residents.
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