Individuals enrolled in Pennsylvania’s medical assistance programs may obtain services from any institution, agency, pharmacy, or organization that tis approved by the Department of Public Welfare to provide such services; providers are prohibited from denying the services or discriminating against medical assistance patients on the grounds of race, color, national origin or handicap.1  Moreover, every practitioner must adhere to basic standards of practice, included maintaining a proper record for each patient that contains a complete medical history of the patient, all treatment plans, results of any interventions, as well as other critical information.2  The patient record should also include certain demographic and personal identification information, such as the patient’s full name and address, and dates of all visits.3

        Various types of practices within the state may have additional record keeping and cost reporting requirements under the medical assistance program, including outpatient psychiatric clinics4, inpatient psychiatric facilities5, nursing facilities6, pharmacies7, shared health facilities8, and hospitals.9  Regardless of practice type, all providers must retain copies of all financial records to fully support claims and charges for payment under the medical assistance program for at least four years.10