Medical Records Requests
A request to the Department of Health (“Department") for medical records must be completed by submitting a valid Authorization for Release of Records form with required* documents to:
Medical Records Requests
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Rm. 825, Health & Welfare Building
625 Forster Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Facsimile: 717-705-6042
E-mail:
ra-dhmedicalrecords@pa.gov
*Please note that medical records maintained by the Department for a person will be provided only to that person or persons legally authorized to receive the medical records. If you are requesting records on behalf of a minor child, submit either the child's birth certificate or documents indicating legal parentage/guardianship. Further, if the request for records involves a person who has died or an incapacitated person, you must submit either a power of attorney, documents identifying you as the administrator of the person's estate, or other such legal documents stating that you are legally authorized to sign the Authorization for Release of Records form on behalf of that person.
It is important to know that the Department does not possess all medical records for all persons in the Commonwealth. For example, the Department is unlikely to have the medical records maintained by your primary care physician. Typical medical records maintained by the Department include services provided at a
State Health Center or information regarding a specific
reportable disease, infection, or condition. In order to fulfill your medical records request, especially for non-AIDS/HIV medical records, be specific in what medical records you seek, such as listing the specific State Health Center where you received medical service and/or the specific disease, infection, or condition at issue.
If the requested medical records relate to HIV/AIDS, pursuant to the Confidentiality of HIV-Related Information Act, the requester is required to complete the Authorization for Disclosure of HIV-Related Information form instead. If the medical records relate to both HIV/AIDS and non-HIV/AIDS records, the requester must complete both the Authorization for Release of Records and the Authorization for Disclosure of HIV-Related Information forms.
The regular hours of the Department are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Department will respond to medical records requests in a timely fashion by USPS first class mail.