The medical records kept by providers are critical to the delivery of quality health care. In addition to state and federal laws, Independence Blue Cross (Independence) has established its own standards for medical records regarding:

• Medical record content
• Medical record organization
• Information filed in medical records
• Retrieving medical records
• Confidentiality of information

Providers must maintain all medical records in accordance with the terms of their Professional Provider Agreement. Independence annually assesses compliance with these standards through medical record review. Practice-specific or plan-wide improvement activities may be requested or initiated if medical record standards are not met.

You can review the complete set of standards in our Provider and Hospital Manuals.