Question:
HELP..I see my surgeon on Oct 1..I have proof of a supervised weightloss

attempt for 1997..THe dr that prescribed me Phentermine this past January was supposed to send me my records before tomorrow now last night he said it would be another two weeks, I am so scared now that I will be denied by aetna..I cant understan why it would take two more weeks I only saw this dr 1 time for 10 minutes how many records could he possibly have..he never weighed me I was too big, he couldnt fit the blood pressure thing around my arm, never did any lab work, plus I had to pay him 50.00 to get him to send me the records...am I gonna have to cancel my appt and wait for them to come?    — tylerswife (posted on September 28, 2001)

September 28, 2001
Sometimes you can go to the doctor and pay a fee and get your records yourself. Maybe you can do this and this way you will have them in hand when you see your surgeon. Good Luck
   — mastrnservnt

September 28, 2001
If I remember right (and I could be wrong about this, it wouldn't be the first time!) but I think a doctor can only charge you a fee of $1 per page for your records. $50 for medical records from one visit seems excessive. Check with your state Medical license board to see if they have a required fee for this. You have a right to get a copy of your medical records within a reasonable amount of time, and two weeks for a small file is not reasonable. I got a copy of my medical records from my PCP (a HUGE file) and it cost me $43.50 (50 cents per page) for copying costs, but I had the copy in two days.
   — Dee P.

September 28, 2001
I would say that you should still see the surgeon. If you have the doctor's name and dates that you say him he may be able to use that. Also, if the prescription was filled at a pharmacy, aaa copy of that record from the pharmacy may be all you need. States differ regarding medical records. In my state, medical records are the property of the physician not the patient! So, you have to pay the doctor for "copying" his records..... ridiculous but that's how it is. Good luck. PS. I had not problems getting my surgery covered and it took less than a week to get the approval.
   — Patricia M.

September 29, 2001
I would keep the visit with your surgeon. When you arrive, have your surgeons office call and ask them to fax a copy of your records. They should fax it right over. There is usually no fee for "faxing". There should only be a fee if you pick up the documents yourself. The fact that this other "Doctor" prescribed you a diet pill without weighing you, taking your blood pressure etc..etc..sounds like a huge RED FLAG to me!! Good luck!!
   — skymaxjr