How to get it
Explore these tips on how to request your health record — it’s your right.
In this section:
If you want to get your health record, it helps to understand how the process works. That way, you’ll know what to do if you hit a roadblock.
This guide won’t provide you with your health record but instead will teach you how to request it from your health care provider.
How do I get started?
The first step is to check your health care provider’s online patient portal, if they have one. A patient portal is a secure website, where patients can often do things like make appointments, contact their provider, and look at lab results. Some of your health information, like a list of the immunizations you’ve had, may be available through the patient portal.
Have you tried your provider’s online patient portal?
About 8 in 10 individuals who used their online patient portal found it helpful and easy to understand.
Source: ONC Data Brief 40 [PDF - 1.7 MB]
If the health information you need is not available through the patient portal or your provider does not have an online patient portal, try other ways to ask your provider for your records:
- Check their website: Information about how to get your health record may be found under the Contact Us section of a provider’s website. It may direct you to an online portal, a phone number, an email address, or a form.
- Phone or visit: You can also call or visit your provider and ask them how to get your health record. Ask for the health information services department or the administrative staff in charge of releasing health records.
Calling all active-duty service members, veterans, and people with Medicare coverage!
If you are an active-duty service member, a veteran, or a Medicare beneficiary, you can see and download some of your health information by clicking on the Blue Button icon on your government health plan or provider’s online patient portal. Look for the Blue Button icon on:
Frequently Asked Question
I make health care decisions for my child, a family member, or another adult — can I access their health record?
Generally, yes, and the process is basically the same as getting your own record. If the law says you can make health care-related decisions for another individual, you usually have the right to access their record. You could be authorized under state, military, or tribal law, or by the individual, or a court, to make health care decisions for this person. For example, you may have a medical power of attorney or authority as a health care proxy. Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, such a person who can legally make health care decisions for someone else is called a personal representative.
There may be some situations where, based on state or other law, an individual’s personal representative is not able to get copies of all or part of the individual’s records. For example, generally parents or guardians are the personal representatives for their children until the children turn 18. But some states treat teenagers under 18 as adults, and some states do not allow parents or guardians to have certain health care information about their teenage children, so they may only be able to see or get copies of parts of the records for their children. If you are refused records, ask your provider for the reason. Get more information on personal representatives.
If you’re not a personal representative, the person you care for can ask their health care provider to give you an electronic copy of their information in an EHR, and the provider must do so.
Troubleshooting Tip
Know your rights
If your health care provider says they can’t provide access to your health record because of HIPAA, tell them that the HIPAA Privacy Rule requires them to give you access to your record. This is your right under the law. Learn more about the HIPAA Privacy Rule and how it protects your right to see and get your health information..
How do I ask for my health record?
How you make your request will depend on your provider’s processes.
You may be able to request your record through your provider’s patient portal. You may have to fill out a form — called a health or medical record release form, or request for access—send an email, or mail or fax a letter to your provider. But a provider cannot impose unreasonable barriers to your access, or unreasonably delay you from getting your records.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule allows health care providers to share information so they can take care of you without needing you to submit a request. So your provider may or may not ask you to fill out a record release form or charge you for sending your record to another provider.
How to fill out a health or medical record release form
Your provider’s medical request release (or “access request”) form may be organized differently — there is not a standard form — but these are the questions you’re likely to see.
Patient information
Whose health records do you want? Print their full name, date of birth, patient identification number (PIN), or medical record number (MRN). (PINs and MRNs are assigned by providers. If you don’t know your number, you can ask your provider.)
Clinic, hospital, care provider
Who has the information you want? If you are using a form supplied by a provider in an individual or small practice you likely will not see this question, but a large health system may need to know the names of persons who cared for you or the place where you got care. It will help them to make sure they give you the correct records. If you are not using a form, be sure to include the full name, address, phone number, and secure fax or secure email address where the provider can send you the records.
Date of Services
When did you receive this care? This can be 1 day or a range of dates or years. If you’re not sure, ask the provider you received care from what dates you need.
Information to be released
What information do you want? This is to guide your provider in pulling the records you need. Often, it will be a set of check boxes. Check all that apply. [For more information, see What am I asking for?]
Receiving party or destination of records
Where do you want to send the information? If you are directing your provider to send an electronic copy of your health information in an EHR to another person or company, identify them here. Enter the complete name of the person, place, or company, along with their address, telephone number, and fax number or secure email (through their patient portal).
Note: If you need to send your records to more than 1 person, including yourself, you may need to make a separate request. Ask your provider what they need.
If you are asking the provider to send non-electronic (like paper) records to another person or company, the provider will ask you to fill out a separate “authorization” form, and may charge you higher fees than they are allowed to charge for sending copies of electronic records. No time limits apply, and they could refuse to provide the copy. So it may be more efficient to request the copies for yourself and then share them with the other person.
Purpose of release
Why do you need this information? Often, the form will offer a set of check boxes, like ongoing care or new doctor. According to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, you don’t have to provide this information in order to get your health record. So you can leave this section blank. Or, you can choose to check all that apply.
Expiration date or duration of consent
Do you want the provider to give information to a person you designated over a specific period of time? If so, provide the time period you are requesting. Not all forms will include this section. Note: According to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, you don’t have to provide this information in order to get your health record, and you can leave this section blank.
Release instructions
How and when do you want to have this information? This tells your provider if you’d like your records by a certain date and what kind of record you want — like a paper copy sent through the postal service, a PDF document sent through email, or a set of electronic information sent to a health app you have chosen. Although you may ask to get your health records sooner, under the HIPAA Privacy Rule your provider can take up to 30 days to deliver your health record. Some state and other laws have shorter timelines. [For more information, see What format do I need? and How do I want to get it?]
Signature of Patient or Personal Representative (also called “Patient Representative”)
Many providers will ask you to sign the form, and you must sign it if you are asking for electronic records to be sent electronically to another person.
Date
The form may ask you to supply the date for the day you sign the record release form.
Relationship to Patient
If you’re not the patient, what is your relationship to the patient? If you are getting the records of another adult, this is where you tell the provider that you are the other adult’s personal representative.
Legal Authority
If you are a personal representative and requesting health records for someone other than your child, you may be required to provide a copy of the legal paperwork giving you the right to access their health information — if their health care provider does not already have it.
Troubleshooting Tip
Bring a form of photo identification
If you deliver your request form or letter in person, you may be asked to present ID — like a driver’s license. The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires your provider to verify your identity to prevent unauthorized people from getting your records.
Frequently Asked Question
Can my health care provider’s office refuse to give me my health record because I have an unpaid bill?
No. According to federal law, your provider must give you access to your health record, even if you have an unpaid bill.
Do I have to pay a fee to get my health record?
You may have to pay a fee. Getting your records electronically, through a patient portal, health app, or by email, likely will be free. However, according to your HIPAA Privacy Rule access rights, your provider may charge a reasonable fee to cover only the cost of:
- Making a paper copy or electronic copy, and any electronic media if used — like a CD or USB (thumb) drive — of your health record
- Mailing you a paper or electronic media copy of your health record
When you send in the request for your health record, ask your provider how much it will cost to get your record. If you need more than one copy, ask your provider how much each copy will cost and decide whether you will make the copy yourself or ask your provider to do it for you.
Do you want your provider to send information that they keep on paper, or in another non-electronic format, to another person? If so, you will need to fill out an “authorization” form, and your provider can charge a higher fee.
Troubleshooting Tip
Get your doctor’s or provider’s contact information
In order to get your health record, you’ll need the full names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers or secure emails (for example, through their patient portal) of all the doctors and providers who are sending and receiving your health record.
How long will I have to wait?
According to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, your health care provider can take up to 30 days to deliver your health record. However, if you requested a specific delivery date, you may get your record sooner. If your provider needs more than 30 days, they must give you a reason for the delay and a new delivery date. They can take up to 30 extra days. Some state and other laws have shorter timelines that may apply to your request.
If you request that information that the provider keeps on paper or in another non-electronic format be sent to another person, you will need to fill out a separate “authorization” form, and the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not apply any deadlines for providers to respond.
Frequently Asked Question
Why is it taking so long to get my record?
There are a few reasons why getting your record can take some time:
- Records can be thousands of pages long, so sorting through them to find the right information can take time.
- Your health care provider may have many requests. Some large providers get over 10,000 requests a month.
- If you are asking for older records, they may be on paper in storage. It may take some time to find and copy these records.
Troubleshooting Tip
Call your provider and ask, “Did you get it?”
After you send in your record request, it’s a good idea to check with your health care provider and make sure they got your request. Sometimes record requests get lost.
If you requested a specific delivery date and your record hasn’t come, or it’s been more than 30 days, call again. And if you feel that you’re not being taken care of, try calling these departments at your provider’s office:
- Customer or patient care: They handle patient complaints. Their contact information is often found in the Contact Us section of your provider’s website.
- Patient privacy and rights: Every provider has a designated HIPAA privacy officer. They make sure your provider is following the rules for protecting the privacy of your health record and responding to your right to access it. Their contact information is often found in the Contact Us or Privacy section of your provider’s website.
