How do I request my medical records in Wisconsin?

Under your federal right of access (HIPAA, 45 CFR § 164.524), you can get a copy of your own records from a HIPAA-covered provider or health plan in Wisconsin. Send a written request, and the free letter on this page works, to the provider's Health Information Management or Release of Information office, or use their patient portal if they have one.

How much can a provider in Wisconsin charge for copies of my records?

For paper copies, up to $1 per page for the first 25 pages, 75 cents for pages 26–50, 50 cents for pages 51–100, and 30 cents per page beyond, plus $1.50 per page from microfiche and $10 for a print of an x-ray. The Department of Health Services adjusts these every July 1 for inflation. The $20 retrieval fee and $8 certification fee in the statute apply only when the requester is not you or someone you authorized. Patients eligible for Medical Assistance pay no more than 25% of these amounts for one set of copies, on proof of eligibility. HIPAA separately limits what a covered provider may charge for your own copy to a reasonable, cost-based fee covering copying labor, supplies, postage if you ask for it mailed, and any summary you agreed to. Searching and retrieving are not on that list. Whichever rule protects you more is the one to cite. That federal cap covers copies for you. When you direct records to a third party, a 2020 federal court ruling took the cap off, and state limits are what remain.

Is this records-request letter free?

Yes. The generator builds a HIPAA records-request letter you can download and print for free. Nothing you type is saved or sent to anyone but you.

Medical records request

How to request your medical records in Wisconsin

You have a federal right to a copy of your own medical records, in Wisconsin and everywhere else. Below is how that right works, what Wisconsin adds on top of it, and a free letter you can fill out and send.

Your federal right (applies in every state)

Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR 164.524), you can get a copy of your own medical records without giving a reason. The rule binds HIPAA covered entities, which is most doctors, hospitals, and health plans. It must act on your request within 30 days and may take one 30-day extension if it tells you in writing why and when. It may charge only a reasonable, cost-based fee covering copying labor, supplies, postage if you ask for it mailed, and any summary you agreed to.

Two limits worth knowing. Psychotherapy notes and material prepared for a lawsuit sit outside the right, and access can be denied on the narrow grounds the rule lists, some of which you can have reviewed. And the fee cap covers copies for you. When you direct a provider to send records to someone else, a 2020 federal court ruling (Ciox Health v. Azar) took that cap off, so state limits are what remain.

What Wisconsin adds

Copy fees: For paper copies, up to $1 per page for the first 25 pages, 75 cents for pages 26–50, 50 cents for pages 51–100, and 30 cents per page beyond, plus $1.50 per page from microfiche and $10 for a print of an x-ray. The Department of Health Services adjusts these every July 1 for inflation. The $20 retrieval fee and $8 certification fee in the statute apply only when the requester is not you or someone you authorized. Patients eligible for Medical Assistance pay no more than 25% of these amounts for one set of copies, on proof of eligibility.
Worth knowing: The Wisconsin Supreme Court held in Banuelos v. UW Hospitals (2023) that providers may not charge any fee for records delivered in electronic format, because the statute's fee schedule lists only paper, microfiche, and X-ray formats.
The law: Wis. Stat. § 146.83 (access to patient health care records)

HIPAA sets a floor, not a ceiling. A Wisconsin rule that gives you greater access, a faster deadline or a lower fee, is not preempted, so it stands alongside the federal right. State caps can also carry limits of their own: some apply only to certain kinds of provider, some price electronic copies differently, and some do not apply when a third party is asking. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the specifics with your provider's records office.

Source

Wis. Stat. § 146.83 (access to patient health care records) →

Who it covers: Health care providers under ch. 146.

These figures are what the source said when we read it on September 9, 2026. Many states adjust their caps every year, so confirm the current amount before you argue one.

Requesting records in Wisconsin — common questions

How do I request my medical records in Wisconsin?: Under your federal right of access (HIPAA, 45 CFR § 164.524), you can get a copy of your own records from a HIPAA-covered provider or health plan in Wisconsin. Send a written request, and the free letter on this page works, to the provider's Health Information Management or Release of Information office, or use their patient portal if they have one.
How much can a provider in Wisconsin charge for copies of my records?: For paper copies, up to $1 per page for the first 25 pages, 75 cents for pages 26–50, 50 cents for pages 51–100, and 30 cents per page beyond, plus $1.50 per page from microfiche and $10 for a print of an x-ray. The Department of Health Services adjusts these every July 1 for inflation. The $20 retrieval fee and $8 certification fee in the statute apply only when the requester is not you or someone you authorized. Patients eligible for Medical Assistance pay no more than 25% of these amounts for one set of copies, on proof of eligibility. HIPAA separately limits what a covered provider may charge for your own copy to a reasonable, cost-based fee covering copying labor, supplies, postage if you ask for it mailed, and any summary you agreed to. Searching and retrieving are not on that list. Whichever rule protects you more is the one to cite. That federal cap covers copies for you. When you direct records to a third party, a 2020 federal court ruling took the cap off, and state limits are what remain.
Is this records-request letter free?: Yes. The generator builds a HIPAA records-request letter you can download and print for free. Nothing you type is saved or sent to anyone but you.

Records rules in another state?

What we will never do with your records

This generator runs without an account, and KeptWell itself makes the same promises to every family, regardless of plan or price.

We won't sell your data.: Not to advertisers, not to data brokers, not to insurers, not to pharma, not to anyone, in any form, ever.
We won't train AI models on your records.: KeptWell does not opt in to model training. OpenAI and Anthropic do not use API inputs or outputs to train their models by default.
We won't lock you in.: You can export everything in your circle as a ZIP at any time. Cancellation is one click.

Read the full data practices →

Once your Wisconsin records arrive, give them a home.

They usually come back as a stack of PDFs or a disc. Upload them to KeptWell and it reads each one, organizes everything by type and date, and lets your whole family ask questions about it. The medical record organizer that does the organizing. Free today.

Get started

We'll email you a secure sign-in link. It works whether you're new here or already have an account.

More on the product: how it works, the medical record organizer, pricing, and what we do with your data.