Reminder: Providers and RHCs Must Retain Medical Records for Specified Periods

Date: June 1, 2026

Attention: All Providers

Call to action: Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) would like to remind individual providers and rural health clinic (RHC) facilities that they must retain medical records for a specified period as required by law.

The medical record retention schedule for each group is as follows:

• Providers: A minimum of five years
• Freestanding RHCs: A minimum of six years
• Hospital-based RHCs: A minimum of ten years

Providers and RHCs must retain medical records from the date of service and continue until all medical billing audit questions, appeal hearings, investigations, or court cases are resolved.

These requirements also apply to provider offices that have been permanently closed.

Retention Video Available

Providers can refer to the Texas Medicaid Records Retention Policies YouTube video to learn more about the importance of retaining medical records.

Next step for providers: Providers should share this information with their staff.

If you have any questions, please email Provider Relations at providerrelations@texaschildrens.org. 

For access to all provider alerts: www.texaschildrenshealthplan.org/provideralerts.