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Important Reminders about Medical Record Requests and Retention
Act
immediately
Effective date
Not stated in the notice
Identified
Oct 3, 2026
Summary
Horizon Blue has issued a reminder about medical record retention requirements and compliance obligations. Healthcare providers must maintain medical records according to specific timelines: 10 years for Medicare Advantage members, 7 years for non-MA members, and 20 years for hospital discharge summaries. Failure to comply with medical records requests from Horizon or its vendor Inovalon can result in network termination.
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What to do
immediately · 5 steps
01All clinical and billing staff must review and implement medical record retention schedules to ensure compliance.
02Establish protocols to respond to Horizon and Inovalon medical records requests within required timeframes.
03Update medical records management systems to enforce retention periods: (1) 10 years minimum for Braven Health Medicare Advantage member records; (2) 7 years from most recent entry for all other member records; (3) For hospitals: 20 years for discharge summaries, 10 years for adult patient records post-discharge, and 10 years post-discharge or until age 23 (whichever is longer) for minor patient records.
04Designate staff responsible for responding to third-party records requests.
05Document all record requests and responses.
If missed: Failure to comply will result in network termination and loss of ability to bill Horizon plans.
Original notice
Important Reminders about Medical Record Requests and Retention
horizonblue.com · Always check the source before changing claims.