right to medical reports?

[denizenx]

hi guys!
I think I read that:
if I have a medical exam done on me by lab/clinic etc by my employer/insurer etc that I am entitled to a copy even if I have to pay for it?
is it true? i can't google it for sg but uk, oz us all abides by this

 

[reachme2003]

if it is commissioned by your employer/insurer/s, logically, the rights belong to them. not you. even if you are prepared to pay, they may or may not agree to release a copy of such report to you.

 

[zekai]

if it is commissioned by your employer/insurer/s, logically, the rights belong to them. not you. even if you are prepared to pay, they may or may not agree to release a copy of such report to you.

what rubbish. you will always have the right to your own medical report.

 

[reachme2003]

i would not be so sure in the scenario i painted if i were you.

what rubbish. you will always have the right to your own medical report.

 

[TMC]

Logically, you should know the results of any medical examination done on you. If your employer/insurer rejects you on medical grounds, you should know why right?

 

[reachme2003]

like what i said. if it is commissioned by your potential employer/insurer, etc, there is no obligation to reveal the result or provide a report to you.

Logically, you should know the results of any medical examination done on you. If your employer/insurer rejects you on medical grounds, you should know why right?

 

[Nisa]

Usually the lab or clinic would give the reports to the company.... but depending on individual companies (small or big) they might pass the reports to u or you can approach the HR department to get a copy of the reports.

Usually if there are any MAJOR problems, the doc will call you back one :sweat:

 

[Astin]

Normally the company medical exam is a very basic one (ie cheap), measure yr height, weight, blood pressure, Xray on yr chest, etc, u can easily afford to pay on yr own for a new exam, it is not that useful anyway.

The more expensive medical exam includes urine test, blood test, HIV test, etc, and it cost about $200-300, most company will not ask for that anyway.

 

[Clark75]

For my company, the medical checkup is yearly. At the clinic, I have to give authorisation for the clinic to release the information of my health status to my company, even though they paid for it. Usually, I sign it, adding my own clause that I should be the first to know before the company, if there are any abnormalities. :sweat:

 

[reachme2003]

i can imagine if one refuses to give authorisation, one loses his job soon. interesting issue here. i am interested to find out the legality of adding your own clause. is your co bound by it?

For my company, the medical checkup is yearly. At the clinic, I have to give authorisation for the clinic to release the information of my health status to my company, even though they paid for it. Usually, I sign it, adding my own clause that I should be the first to know before the company, if there are any abnormalities. :sweat:

 

[TMC]

Usually you will get a copy of the medical report if you asks for it. Wouldnt stand in a court case that you are not entitled to know your own medical results. Regardless whether commissioned by company or insurer, you have a right to know your results. But like what others said, no point to know if its a simple test.

AFAIK When the HR asks you to go to the clinic to do a med checkup, there`s a form that authorizes the clinic to release the results to the company.

 

[reachme2003]

precisely, dont give authorisation, may lose job or not get job at all.

Usually you will get a copy of the medical report if you asks for it. Wouldnt stand in a court case that you are not entitled to know your own medical results. Regardless whether commissioned by company or insurer, you have a right to know your results. But like what others said, no point to know if its a simple test.

AFAIK When the HR asks you to go to the clinic to do a med checkup, there`s a form that authorizes the clinic to release the results to the company.

 

[zekai]

yes but giving authorisation and the right to your own report are separate issue.
you are DEFINITELY within your legal right in looking at your own report, even if you have to pay a small admin fee.

 

[reachme2003]

i concur with your 1st sentence.

2nd sentence, can you pls back it up with explicit examples. or quote your reliable legal sources.

yes but giving authorisation and the right to your own report are separate issue.
you are DEFINITELY within your legal right in looking at your own report, even if you have to pay a small admin fee.

 

[tingchiyen]

yes but giving authorisation and the right to your own report are separate issue.
you are DEFINITELY within your legal right in looking at your own report, even if you have to pay a small admin fee.

I doubt it. Your 1st issue deals with doctor-patient privilege, while the 2nd deals with who actually paid to commission the medical report. If you don't pay the doctor for the examination which was arranged and paid for by your employer, what right do you have to demand a copy of the results, despite being willing to pay an administrative fee (presumably for photocopying costs etc.)? If you really want to know the state of your health so badly, it makes more sense to go consult and arrange for your own medical examination.

 

[denizenx]

hi again,
from what I've read online
MOH has no stand, but NUS lectures says DOCTORS are required to inform the patient if asked or if important -- but NOT required to give the complete (aka XEROX) copy of the full report.
however, uk/u/au allows full access to a patient's own records.

the ambiguity here is the copy of the report vs the contents of the report.

just fyi: my problem now is that the clinic who did the tests for me told me they have no copy of the tests but all sent directly to my insurer -- who'd made some drastic underwriting on me. implications are that if they refuse me a copy yet they can also allow free access to other insurers and I cannot refute this "black box" evaluation. HOWEVER this is still in process -- so nothing to conclude/protest yet lol.

 

[Snowcrash]

hi again,
from what I've read online
MOH has no stand, but NUS lectures says DOCTORS are required to inform the patient if asked or if important -- but NOT required to give the complete (aka XEROX) copy of the full report.
however, uk/u/au allows full access to a patient's own records.

the ambiguity here is the copy of the report vs the contents of the report.

just fyi: my problem now is that the clinic who did the tests for me told me they have no copy of the tests but all sent directly to my insurer -- who'd made some drastic underwriting on me. implications are that if they refuse me a copy yet they can also allow free access to other insurers and I cannot refute this "black box" evaluation. HOWEVER this is still in process -- so nothing to conclude/protest yet lol.

Are you saying that
1) the clinic will allow free access of your medical report to other insurance companies as well as employers or
2) your employers will share your medical report to other insurance companies?

 

[reachme2003]

if i understand the situation correctly, the answer is no in both instances.

the 'sharing' of medical reports or conditions of their client or potential clients among insurance cos is something i am not sure of. even in the absence of such 'sharing' mechanism, if one is rejected or accepted on non-standard terms by a ins co/s for underwriting purposes, the potential client are obliged by existing law to disclose them to other ins cos. failure to disclose may invalidate ins contracts.

where employers are concerned, as a ex-hr person, employers are very hesitant to 'share' such personal medical info with other employers.

Are you saying that
1) the clinic will allow free access of your medical report to other insurance companies as well as employers or
2) your employers will share your medical report to other insurance companies?

 

[reachme2003]

clinics are not obliged to release such reports to you. ins cos are also not obliged. however, you will know in due course if they will underwrite you at standard, non-standard terms or outright reject you. the agent who handles your underwriting may provide some clues. only time will tell. good luck.

hi again,
from what I've read online
MOH has no stand, but NUS lectures says DOCTORS are required to inform the patient if asked or if important -- but NOT required to give the complete (aka XEROX) copy of the full report.
however, uk/u/au allows full access to a patient's own records.

the ambiguity here is the copy of the report vs the contents of the report.

just fyi: my problem now is that the clinic who did the tests for me told me they have no copy of the tests but all sent directly to my insurer -- who'd made some drastic underwriting on me. implications are that if they refuse me a copy yet they can also allow free access to other insurers and I cannot refute this "black box" evaluation. HOWEVER this is still in process -- so nothing to conclude/protest yet lol.

 

[Clark75]

i can imagine if one refuses to give authorisation, one loses his job soon. interesting issue here. i am interested to find out the legality of adding your own clause. is your co bound by it?

Though medical examinations are paid by the company, the results belong solely to you. Of course you can lose your job if this becomes an issue to the company. But if there is something you need to hide from your company, losing your job won't be on your mind.

As for adding the clause, it is actually an instruction from myself to the clinic; clinic has to oblige. Whatever agreement the company has with the medical group/clinic cannot supercede patient-doctor confidentiality.