My two cents worth about getting medical records on patients, deceased or otherwise: Yes, it is true that HIPPA laws have made it very difficult to obtain information about patients now however, it is not impossible. If you can show a medical reason, usually through a doctor's statement, you can get old records from institutions. For example, if your family has a history of a certain condition and you have a relative who was institutionalized 60 years ago but you don't know for what, you may be able to obtain that information with the proper form from your doctor. Medical records for an individual who is still living are available to that person through the Release of Information Act. That person must sign for the information but the hospital or doctor cannot withhold it from him/her. Gloria ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.