A medical records custodian is a company that takes legal responsibility for patient records after a physician retires or a practice closes. The custodian stores the records securely, keeps them for the full period required by state and federal law, and releases copies to patients, attorneys, insurers, and agencies who have the right to receive them.

The period depends on your state and practice type. Most states require 5 to 10 years for adult records, often longer for minors, and federal rules such as Medicare Advantage contracts can require 10 years. In Georgia, physicians keep each record for at least 10 years from the date it was created. Use our retention schedule tool to see your state.

Omega takes custody of your records through a custodial agreement, works with Medical Data Archiving to extract and back up your EMR data, stores the records for the retention period, and fulfills every records request that follows. You are not contacted again.

Yes. Patients submit a signed release form to Omega, we verify their identity, and we deliver the records by mail or email. Attorneys, insurers, and government agencies follow the same process with the appropriate authorization or legal process.

Pricing depends on the number of charts, the EMR system, whether paper records need scanning, and the retention period in your state. Request a quote and we will price it for your practice, with no obligation.