How much does a medical chronology cost? Per-page, hourly and flat-fee pricing compared
· 3 min read
A medical chronology turns a stack of records into a dated, sourced timeline of what happened. Prices range from pennies a page to several thousand dollars a case, and the cheapest option is not always the cheapest outcome. Here is how pricing works and what you actually get at each level.
The three ways chronologies are priced
Per page. Common with high-volume vendors and AI tools. Easy to compare, but it rewards speed over judgment, and duplicate or irrelevant pages cost the same as the ones that matter.
Hourly. How most independent legal nurse consultants bill. You pay for a nurse's time reading, organizing and flagging. Ask for an estimate in hours before work starts.
Flat fee. A fixed price for a defined deliverable and page range, often with a turnaround commitment. Easiest to budget; make sure the scope (pages, issues, format) is written down.
Typical ranges in 2026
These are ranges seen across published rate cards and vendor pricing; your quote will depend on the case.
| Option | Typical price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| AI-generated chronology | a few cents to about 12¢ per page | Fast extraction of dated events; no clinical judgment, needs checking |
| Offshore or volume vendor | about 10¢ to 75¢ per page, or low hourly rates | Organized summary; reviewer credentials often not disclosed |
| US registered nurse consultant | often $125 to $275 per hour, or a flat fee per case | A chronology that also flags deviations, gaps and missing records |
What changes the price of a nurse-prepared chronology
- Page count, and how messy the records are. Scanned, out-of-order or duplicated records take longer.
- Depth. A plain timeline is faster than one that flags standard-of-care issues and missing documentation.
- Specialty. Fetal monitoring strips in an L&D case or ICU flowsheets take specialist reading.
- Turnaround. Rush work usually costs more; see rush and priority cases.
To see a realistic number for your page count, use the estimator on the services page or the pricing page. Each consultant then quotes an exact fee in their proposal.
How not to pay twice
The most expensive chronology is the one you redo. Two habits prevent it:
- Get the complete chart first. Use the medical record request checklist, including the audit trail and policies, so the timeline isn't rebuilt when missing records arrive.
- Buy the judgment, not just the timeline. If the chronology will support a merit decision, a nurse who flags the deviations as they go saves you a separate review later. See what that looks like in our sample chronology: every entry has a source, and key events and gaps are flagged.
Where AI fits
AI is useful for sorting and first-pass extraction, and our case workspace uses it for a first draft when you opt in. But a chronology you rely on for a merit decision or an expert should be checked by a nurse. Read AI medical chronologies vs. nurse review for where each is reliable.
Next step
Request a chronology: post a redacted brief with your page count and deadline, and compare fixed and hourly proposals from license-verified nurses. Or browse consultants and see each nurse's starting price on their profile.
General information for legal professionals, not legal advice. Rules and deadlines vary by state; check the statute and local rules that govern your case.
General information, not legal or medical advice. Laws and practice standards vary by state; an attorney decides how they apply to a case.