US · guidance
CMS SOM App. G, Tag J-0154
§ 491.10(c) Retention of records
The records are retained for at least 6 years from date of last entry, and longer if
required by State statute.
Interpretative Guidelines §491.10(c)
Clinical records are retained in their original form or legally reproduced form in hard copy,
microfilm, or computer memory banks. The RHC must be able to promptly retrieve the
complete medical record of every individual evaluated or treated at the RHC 6 years after the
latest entry made into the patient’s record. Therefore, clinical records must be maintained
within the RHC.
Although RHCs are expected to comply with other Federal or State law requirements calling
for longer retention periods, compliance with these other requirements is not assessed as part
of the Federal RHC survey.
Survey Procedures §491.10(c)
Determine that records are retained for at least 6 years from the date of the last entry.
History
Rev. 177, Issued: 01-26-18, Effective: 01-26-18, Implementation: 01-26-18
Provenance
- Source
- cms.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-07-22
- Edition
- som-2026-07-22
- Content hash
19041f40aacbc429ef8b77b6bbc3628df009de265f6200dd5656e279edfe0241
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