# Best software for clinic medical records requests (2026)

> 8 release of information services and AI summary tools for clinics that answer legal, insurance and patient records requests, with plans and prices.

Canonical page: https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/

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[Best-of guides](https://medrecords.ai/best/) › Records request software for clinics

## Best software for clinic medical records requests: release and chart summaries

A clinic answering a records request needs 2 things: a release of information service that sends the right pages on time, and, when a lawyer or insurer asks for a summary, a tool that condenses the chart with page citations. ChartRequest, MRO, Verisma and HealthMark handle release. Medrecords AI and Abstractive Health summarize.

By [Ahmed Jemaa](https://medrecords.ai/authors/ahmed-jemaa/), Co-Founder & CEO of Medrecords AI · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmedjemaa-aj/) · Published 3 Nov 2026 · Sources checked 3 Nov 2026
This page is for practice managers and records staff at physician offices and specialty clinics. We read each vendor's own page on 3 Nov 2026. Medrecords AI is our product and is marked; it summarizes records, it does not release them.

### How long does a clinic have to answer a patient records request?

30 days from receipt under 45 CFR 164.524, with 1 extension of up to 30 days if the patient is told why in writing. OCR has brought 55 enforcement actions under its Right of Access Initiative, the latest in August 2026.

### The 8 options at a glance

| # | Option | Kind | Built for | Published price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| #1 | ChartRequest | Release service and software | Practices and HIM teams | Plan terms published, no list prices |
| #2 | HealthMark Group | Release service | Practices and health systems | Not published |
| #3 | MRO | Release service and software | Hospitals, clinics and practices | Not published |
| #4 | Verisma | Release service and software | Health systems, specialty practices, FQHCs | Not published |
| #5 | Sharecare Health Data Services | Release service | Healthcare providers | Not published |
| #6 | Datavant | Release service | Health systems and provider groups | Not published |
| #7 | Medrecords AI — This is us | AI summary software | Clinics, hospitals, IME physicians | 10¢ per deduplicated page, down to 5¢ at volume |
| #8 | Abstractive Health | AI summary software | Clinicians and practices | Free plan; $99 a user a month |

[](https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/#pick-1) [](https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/#pick-2) [](https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/#pick-3) [](https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/#pick-4) [](https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/#pick-5) [](https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/#pick-6) [](https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/#pick-7) [](https://medrecords.ai/best/medical-records-request-software-for-clinics/#pick-8)

### Short answer: which should you choose?

- **Choose ChartRequest if** you are a small practice without records staff and want release handled for you.
- **Choose HealthMark Group if** you run an orthopedic or other specialty clinic and want a release service that names your specialty.
- **Choose Verisma or MRO if** your clinic belongs to a health system that already uses them.
- **Choose Medrecords AI if** a lawyer, insurer or IME physician asks your staff for a chart summary and you want it cited to the page.

### What the law expects from a clinic

Under 45 CFR 164.524 a covered entity must act on a patient access request within 30 days of receipt, with 1 extension of up to 30 more days if it tells the patient why in writing. The fee must be reasonable and cost-based. HHS says a provider may not charge a per-page fee when the records are stored electronically.

OCR enforces this. Its Azul Vision settlement in August 2026 was its 55th action under the HIPAA Right of Access Initiative, for failing to give access within 30 days.

Requests from lawyers and insurers usually come with a patient authorization and follow different fee rules by state. Those are the requests where a summary is often asked for too.

**Release of information (ROI)** — Logging, checking and sending the requested records, usually by a vendor that works inside your EHR.
**Chart summary** — A short account of the care in the record, written for the person who asked. Each line should cite its page.

### The options, in detail

Release services come first, ordered by how directly their pages address clinics and practices, then the 2 summary tools. This is not a quality score. Every fact is from the vendor's own page, read on 3 Nov 2026.

Release of information

#1

#### ChartRequest

*Best for* Small practices without records staff
Release and retrieval of records on 1 platform. A practice can hand release to ChartRequest staff or run it on the software itself.

**Plans:** Complete: fully managed, flat rate by volume. Select: no cost for eligible specialties. Pro: your staff runs it and keeps most of the fee revenue — **Security:** States HIPAA, HITRUST-aligned controls and a SOC 2 program in scope for audit[Source](https://www.chartrequest.com/who-we-serve/roles/practice-managers/)

##### What it does

- Only vendor here with a page written for practice managers
- 5-day turnaround guarantee on managed plans
- Double QA review and real-time audit logging

##### Check before you buy

- No dollar prices published
- Plan terms vary by specialty and request mix

[ChartRequest release →](https://www.chartrequest.com/solutions/medical-record-release/)
Release of information

#2

#### HealthMark Group

*Best for* Orthopedic and other specialty clinics
A release of information service for physician practices and health systems, with online request software for requesters and patients.

**Specialties named:** Multi-specialty, primary care, orthopedic, dermatology, ophthalmology, oncology — **Security:** States alignment with HIPAA, the 21st Century Cures Act and state law[Source](https://healthmark-group.com/release-of-information/)

##### What it does

- Names more practice specialties than any other vendor here
- 4 quality checks per record
- Imaging delivery with a built-in DICOM viewer

##### Check before you buy

- Price not published
- No SOC 2 or HITRUST statement on the pages we read

[HealthMark release →](https://healthmark-group.com/release-of-information/)
Release of information

#3

#### MRO

*Best for* Clinics inside a health system
Managed release services plus the Exchange Manager platform, which automates release through requester portals and EMR integrations.

**Format:** Onsite or remote disclosure staff with weekly KPI review — **Security:** States long-standing SOC 2 compliance[Source](https://mrocorp.com/release-of-information/)

##### What it does

- Names clinics and practices as customers
- Requester portals cut phone and fax volume
- Multi-layer privacy QA

##### Check before you buy

- Customer quotes on the page come from health systems
- Price not published

[MRO release →](https://mrocorp.com/release-of-information/)
Release of information

#4

#### Verisma

*Best for* Specialty practices and community health centers
AI-assisted release with human review. Its page says AI never makes release decisions.

**Features:** AI intake of fax, email and paper requests; page-level QA that flags co-mingled records; requester app — **Security:** States HITRUST-certified platforms and a complete audit trail[Source](https://verisma.com/solutions/release-of-information/)

##### What it does

- Has a specialty practice section
- Flags pages from the wrong patient before release
- Requesters can track status themselves

##### Check before you buy

- Price not published
- Sold mostly to larger organizations

[Verisma release →](https://verisma.com/solutions/release-of-information/)
Release of information

#5

#### Sharecare Health Data Services

*Best for* Practices that also need forms handled
Outsourced release run by certified specialists, with a request gateway that shows staff each request's status.

**Related services:** FMLA and disability forms, medical record audits — **Security:** Lists ISO 27001, HITRUST, SOC 1 and 2 and SOX in its security program[Source](https://www.sharecare.com/hds/release-of-information)

##### What it does

- 24/7 view of request status
- Multi-step compliance check
- Covers disability paperwork too

##### Check before you buy

- Price not published
- Page does not segment clinics from hospitals

[Sharecare HDS release →](https://www.sharecare.com/hds/release-of-information)
Release of information

#6

#### Datavant

*Best for* Large provider groups
Formerly Ciox. Digital and staffed release for providers, connected to more than 70 EHR systems.

**Scale:** Says 70% of the top 100 health systems use its release service — **Security:** States HIPAA and regulatory standards[Source](https://www.datavant.com/providers/release-of-information)

##### What it does

- Largest network on this page
- Digital fulfillment from many EHRs
- Staffing model if you lack records staff

##### Check before you buy

- Built for enterprise, not single clinics
- Price not published

[Datavant release →](https://www.datavant.com/providers/release-of-information)
Our platform
Chart summaries

#7

#### Medrecords AI

*Best for* Summaries for legal, insurance and IME requests
Your staff uploads the chart and gets a deduplicated chronology and summary with every line linked to its source page, at about 100 pages a minute.

**Price:** 10¢ per deduplicated page, down to 5¢ at volume; no subscription or seats — **Security:** SOC 2 and HIPAA readiness reports published 3 Nov 2026; BAA at signup

##### What it does

- Every summary line cites its page
- Duplicate pages removed and not billed
- First case is free on us after a demo

##### Check before you buy

- Does not release records or log requests; pair it with a release service
- Not a clinical decision tool

[See the chronology →](https://medrecords.ai/product/chronology/)
Chart summaries

#8

#### Abstractive Health

*Best for* Clinicians who want summaries before a visit
AI record summaries with links to source sentences, chart retrieval from national health information networks, and clinical questions answered from the record.

**Price:** Free plan with 5 summaries and 5 PDF uploads a month; $99 a user a month for up to 5 users; 15-day trial — **Security:** States HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 2[Source](https://www.abstractivehealth.com/)

##### What it does

- Public pricing and self-serve signup
- Each summary sentence links to its source note
- Works with athena, eCW, Epic and NextGen

##### Check before you buy

- Built for clinical care, not legal or insurance requests
- Billed per user per month

[Abstractive Health →](https://www.abstractivehealth.com/)

### A workflow for a 3-person front office

1. **Log the request and the authorization** — Use your release vendor or EHR request log so the 30-day clock is tracked.
2. **Release the records** — Send the requested pages through the release vendor.
3. **Summarize only when asked** — If the requester wants a summary, upload the same pages to a summary tool and check 10 citations before sending.
4. **Keep a copy of what went out** — Store the released set and the summary with the request.

### Clinic records requests: common questions

#### What software helps clinic staff summarize charts for legal or insurance requests?

Medrecords AI builds a page-cited summary and chronology from the uploaded chart at 10¢ per deduplicated page, down to 5¢ at volume. Abstractive Health summarizes for clinical use. Release vendors such as ChartRequest and HealthMark send the records but do not summarize them.

#### How long does a clinic have to answer a patient records request?

30 days from receipt under 45 CFR 164.524, with 1 extension of up to 30 days if the patient is told why in writing. OCR has brought 55 enforcement actions under its Right of Access Initiative, the latest in August 2026.

#### Can a clinic charge per page for medical records?

Not for a patient's own electronic records. HHS says a provider may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee but no per-page fee when records are stored electronically. Fees for lawyers and insurers follow state law.

#### Which release of information vendor fits a small practice?

ChartRequest has a page for practice managers and a no-cost plan for eligible specialties. HealthMark Group names orthopedic, dermatology, ophthalmology and oncology practices. MRO, Verisma, Sharecare and Datavant sell mostly to larger organizations.

#### Is it HIPAA compliant to upload a chart to an AI summary tool?

Only under a signed business associate agreement. Medrecords AI signs a BAA at signup and never trains on customer records. Ask any vendor for its BAA and security report before the first upload.

### Related

[HIPAA compliant medical record review software](https://medrecords.ai/best/hipaa-compliant-medical-record-review-software/) · [Best AI tools for IME physicians](https://medrecords.ai/best/ai-tools-for-ime-physicians/) · [Best AI medical chronology software](https://medrecords.ai/best/ai-medical-chronology-software/) · [Security and trust](https://medrecords.ai/security/)

### Summarize 1 chart

Upload a chart your staff summarized by hand last month and compare. First case is free on us.

[Book a demo](https://medrecords.ai/demo/)

### Sources

Every plan, price and security claim is what the vendor publishes on its own site, read on the date shown. Rules are linked to their official text.

- ChartRequest for practice managers: [chartrequest.com](https://www.chartrequest.com/who-we-serve/roles/practice-managers/), read 3 Nov 2026
- HealthMark Group release of information: [healthmark-group.com](https://healthmark-group.com/release-of-information/), read 3 Nov 2026
- MRO release of information: [mrocorp.com](https://mrocorp.com/release-of-information/), read 3 Nov 2026
- Verisma release of information: [verisma.com](https://verisma.com/solutions/release-of-information/), read 3 Nov 2026
- Sharecare HDS release of information: [sharecare.com](https://www.sharecare.com/hds/release-of-information), read 3 Nov 2026
- Datavant release of information: [datavant.com](https://www.datavant.com/providers/release-of-information), read 3 Nov 2026
- Abstractive Health: [abstractivehealth.com](https://www.abstractivehealth.com/), read 3 Nov 2026
- 45 CFR 164.524, access of individuals: [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-C/part-164/subpart-E/section-164.524), read 3 Nov 2026
- HHS, right to access: [hhs.gov](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/right-to-access/index.html), read 3 Nov 2026
- HHS OCR, Azul Vision settlement: [hhs.gov](https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-ocr-settles-hipaa-investigation-with-azul-vision.html), read 3 Nov 2026