A hospital must retain and preserve all medical records which are directly related to the care and treatment of an adult patient for a minimum of ten years following the most recent discharge of the patient.

Records of minors must be retained and preserved for at least three years following reaching age eighteen, or ten years following discharge, whichever is longer.

A hospital must retain and preserve all medical records for a minimum of 26 years. A hospital may retain such medical records on paper, microfilm, electronically, or other media.

This act applies to medical records created and retained prior to the effective date, as well as those which would have been created on or after the effective date. It does not apply to medical records neither retained nor preserved by the hospital if the hospital complied with the retention requirements that existed prior to the effective date of this act. Hospitals are not exempt from compliance with any other record retention requirements.