Leslie B asked:
I stopped by my old dentist’s office to get copies of my x-rays. They said I have two films there and that it would cost $25 to copy them. Isn’t this exorbitant? I read on the Oregon Board of Dentistry website that a dentist can only charge for the actual cost of duplicating x-rays. Does anyone know what an acceptable range might be?
I stopped by my old dentist’s office to get copies of my x-rays. They said I have two films there and that it would cost $25 to copy them. Isn’t this exorbitant? I read on the Oregon Board of Dentistry website that a dentist can only charge for the actual cost of duplicating x-rays. Does anyone know what an acceptable range might be?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
First of all, if the xrays are over a year old, they won’t do your new dentist any good if the appointment is simply for a New Patient Exam. If the films are to be used as comparison films, then maybe.
You could always ask the new dentist to request your records, to include xrays. You’ll have to sign a release of information form, but maybe you’ll be able to bypass the duplication fee.
We don’t charge for film duplication. It’s a courtesy.
Good Luck!
We don’t charge for duplication either, especially now that we’re taking all digital.
The way the federal law reads, dentists can charge a “reasonable” fee which should never exceed the original fee. If they are charging $25 for two individual x-rays, that comes close to an average cost for two single films.
Sometimes, when dentists charge for duplicate films, the patient owes a balance and that’s one way to recover some of it. They are not supposed to hold x-rays for “ransom”, but sometimes that’s the thought process.
Like the other responder said, if they’re more than a year old or so, the new office probably doesn’t need them.
I worked in a dental office for 6 yrs handling insurance and transfer of records and prior to that I worked as an oral surgery assistant for 9. In both offices we NEVER charged a patient for duplicating x-rays. I would definitely find out how old the x-rays are as they will not be any good to new DDS if over a year old unless they are used strictly to compare.
Good luck