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Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007 - 06:22 PM

A former Tri-Cities doctor recently released from jail has fled the state, and taken his former patients' medical records with him.

Doctor George Aycock pleaded guilty to domestic assault and resisting arrest last year. On the eve of his trial he fled Greene County and headed to South Carolina. He was caught several months later and served jail time in South Carolina and Greeneville.

Now Aycock is out of jail and back in South Carolina. He says he will release his former patients' records but it will cost them the price: $25 each. Some patients aren't willing to pay the fee.

Most of Aycock's patients haven't seen their medical records in more than a year, and not because they haven't tried. When former patient Betty Beach changed her doctor she went to Aycock's office and asked for her medical records. She was told she could not have them.

Now, Beach and other patients have been told to send money in exchange for their records, but Beach says she won't pay the fee.

"It's a violation and we're upset and frustrated because we've went all this time," Beach said."Now it's if you've got 25 bucks andI think I'll send you your records, or maybe I'll send you your records. I don't even know if that would ever happen."

Charging patients for copies of medical records is standard practice and legal. Tennessee law states that doctors can charge patients for reasonable costs that shall not exceed $20 for medical records under 40 pages. Doctors can also charge for the actual cost of mailing.

Patients like Betty beach say it may be legal, but based on Aycock's criminal history it certainly isn't ethical.

It is unclear how many patients records Aycock has. Beach says she has spoken with at least twenty other patients who also want their records back.

Aycock's attorney declined to comment.