EHR Records Archival Service
The Medi-EHR Records Archival Service is a secure, read-only repository for electronic patient records that a practice no longer keeps in an active EHR — used when a practice closes, switches systems, retires a legacy platform, ends an active Medi-EHR subscription, or simply needs a lower-cost home for inactive charts.
What Is the Medi-EHR Records Archival Service?
Records can be imported from virtually any prior EHR or practice management system, then stored in an unalterable, audit-ready format for as long as your applicable retention requirement requires.
Unlike an active EHR, the archive is not used for day-to-day charting. It exists for one purpose: keeping historical records intact, secure, and retrievable — for a patient records request, a payer or legal audit, a state board inquiry, or a subpoena — without the cost and security exposure of running a full clinical system indefinitely.
How It Works
Import
Medi-EHR imports your records from your prior EHR or practice management system — or activates secure access to your existing Medi-EHR data if you’re already a customer.
Secure Read-Only Storage
Records are stored in a read-only archive — nothing can be altered or deleted, preserving the integrity of the original record.
Retrieve When Needed
Authorized staff can look up and produce a full record on demand — for a patient request, audit, or legal matter.
Key Features
Import from any system.Records can be brought in from any prior EHR or practice management platform — including eClinicalWorks, Athenahealth, and SimplePractice — no need to keep a legacy system running just to retain access to old charts.
Complete record access.Patient charts, visit history, demographics, insurance, encounter summaries, and uploaded documents or scanned images — everything needed to respond to a records request.
Read-only, tamper-evident storage.Once archived, records cannot be edited or deleted, preserving a defensible copy of the original documentation.
Fast retrieval and lookup.Authorized users can search by patient, chart, or document type, and produce records quickly for patient requests, audits, or legal proceedings.
Lower cost than a live legacy system.Archived storage avoids the licensing, hosting, and support costs of keeping a retired EHR operational solely for compliance.
Access controls and audit logging.Every view and export of an archived record is logged with user, patient, and timestamp detail, supporting accountability during audits.
24/7 availability with U.S.-based support.The archive is accessible around the clock, backed by U.S.-based technical support for access issues.
Pricing
Archival pricing depends on your situation.
A simple, fixed licensing fee for read-only access to your own historical records — no migration needed, since your data is already in Medi-EHR:
- $199 for the first provider license
- + $99 for each additional provider
- + $49 per additional user license
If you’re importing records from a different EHR or practice management system, pricing is scoped to your migration — a custom quote based on data volume, source system, and complexity, delivered as a Statement of Work (SOW).
Retention Requirements: HIPAA and State Law
HIPAA itself does not set a single retention period for patient medical records — it requires covered entities to retain HIPAA-related documentation, such as policies and procedures, for 6 years from creation or last effective date (45 CFR §164.316, §164.530). The retention period for the medical records themselves is set by state law, and requirements vary widely — commonly ranging from about 5 years to 11 years or more depending on the state and whether the patient is an adult or minor.
Where federal and state rules differ, the more stringent requirement applies.
Because retention obligations vary by state and practice type, always confirm the exact period that applies to your practice with your compliance officer or healthcare attorney. For a deeper walkthrough of archiving policy, retention triggers, and archiving vs. deletion, see our guide: How to Archive Old EHR Records: A Complete Compliance Guide for Medical Practices.
Who It’s For
- Existing Medi-EHR customers whose active subscription has ended, needing continued read-only access to their own historical records at a fixed price.
- Practices closing or being acquired, needing to retain patient records after the active EHR is decommissioned.
- Practices switching EHR systems, who need a compliant home for historical records that don’t need to migrate into the new active system.
- Practices retiring a legacy or unsupported EHR, to eliminate the security risk and cost of keeping an outdated system running.
- Practices managing merger or divestiture data, consolidating records from multiple prior systems into a single, searchable archive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Medi-EHR Records Archival Service.
What is an EHR records archival service?
An EHR records archival service stores a practice’s electronic patient records in a secure, read-only repository after the active EHR they came from is retired or replaced — keeping the records accessible for compliance, audits, and patient requests without the cost of running the original system.
Do I need to be a Medi-EHR customer to use the archival service?
No. Any practice can use the service to import and archive records from a prior EHR or practice management system. Existing Medi-EHR customers archiving their own historical data after their subscription ends have a separate, fixed-price option.
How much does the archival service cost?
Pricing depends on your situation. Existing Medi-EHR customers accessing their own historical records after their subscription ends pay a fixed price. Practices importing records from another system receive custom pricing based on a Statement of Work (SOW), scoped to data volume, source system, and migration complexity.
Can I import records from any EHR system into the Medi-EHR archive?
Yes. Medi-EHR imports records from any prior EHR or practice management system into the archive, regardless of vendor — including eClinicalWorks, Athenahealth, and SimplePractice.
How long do I need to keep archived patient records?
It depends on your state’s medical record retention law, which commonly ranges from about 5 to 11 years and can differ for adult and minor patients. HIPAA separately requires 6-year retention of HIPAA-related documentation. Confirm the exact period that applies to your practice with your compliance officer or a healthcare attorney.
Is data in the Medi-EHR archive read-only?
Yes. Once a record is archived, it cannot be edited or deleted, preserving a defensible copy of the original documentation.
Can archived records be retrieved for audits or legal requests?
Yes. Authorized staff can search the archive and produce a complete record on demand for patient requests, payer or regulatory audits, state board inquiries, or legal proceedings such as a subpoena.
How is archived data secured?
Archived records are held in a secure, access-controlled repository with audit logging of every view and export, supporting accountability during compliance reviews.
Does the archive support patient record requests under HIPAA and the 21st Century Cures Act?
Yes. Archived records remain fully accessible to authorized staff, supporting timely responses to patient right-of-access requests, information-blocking compliance under the 21st Century Cures Act, and other regulatory record requests.
What happens to archived records when the retention period ends?
Retention periods vary by state and record type (see Retention Requirements above). When your applicable retention period ends, talk to Medi-EHR about your options for secure record disposition.
Retiring a System or Closing a Practice? Let’s Talk Records.
Talk to Medi-EHR about importing and archiving your patient records — securely, read-only, and ready when you need them.
