
When it comes to veterans healthcare records, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides access to both veterans and outside healthcare providers. These records are provided through the myhealthevet website. A premium account is required to access those records. You can apply for a premium account either in person or by mail. Veterans who receive compensation for a service-connected illness or injury may apply online.
You will fill out the release of information form (10-5345a-MHV). If you apply for the premium account in person, you will need a government issued ID to verify your identity. You should report to the Release of Information (ROI) department with the release of information filled out or you can fill it out there You must apply in person if you do not already have a myhealthevet account. If you already have a myhealthevet account, you can apply by mail. Fill out the release of information form and mail it to your nearest Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC).
Once you have access to your premium account and have logged into my healthevet you can use the “Blue Button”. The blue button is used to download an electronic copy of your progress notes, consults, prescriptions, lab work, x-rays, mental health records, and the list of medical conditions you have. You can provide copies to other healthcare providers or for your own records. The Veterans Administration (VA) has programs to assure the availability of healthcare in a timely manner. Sometimes veterans will have their healthcare needs met within their own community instead of a VA treatment facility or hospital.
Most veterans only need to be seen by a specialist in their community. However, veterans who live too far from a VAMC or travel to the nearest VAMC is a medical hardship and need regular treatment may receive care within their local community. When a veteran qualifies for community based treatment, it is important that communication between the VAMC and the community healthcare professional.
Veterans receiving community based care often felt the frustration of getting information from the community provider to the VAMC. The veteran could provide the provider their healthcare records with the data from the blue button but there was not a good, consistent method of providing a way to link community providers with the VAMC. The Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) system is part of the Veterans Health Information Exchange (VHIE). The information exchange is now a reality. You still need a myhealthevet premium account to connect your doctors.
Now you know a bit about ebenefits/myhealthevet premium accounts and why it is useful to you. With the premium account established you can now connect your doctor to the VA if they are a participating partner. Connecting your VAMC and community based providers is the next step after you have a premium account.
Just like signing up for an ebenefits/myhealthevet premium account, you can sign up in person, by mail, or online. To sign up online you need a premium account and are signed into ebenefits. Once you are logged in, follow these steps:
- Go to Manage Health
- Select Share your VA Medical Records
- Select Login to Manage My Consent and Preferences
- Select Start Consent Authorization
- To continue you must accept the terms and conditions
- Select Save and Continue
- Mark the box and select Sign
- Re-enter your user name and password when prompted
- Click Re-authenticate.
Re-authentication may take a few minutes to complete. Should you experience technical issues, call the support he1pdesk at 1-800-983-0937.
If you want to complete the process by mail, download and fill out VA Form 10-0485. After the form has been completed, send your form to your nearest VAMC’s ROI department.
Go to the ROI office of your VAMC to apply in person. If you have not already filled out the VA consent (authorization) form (VA Form 10-0485)just ask for it. Once you complete the form, give it to the ROI staff person.
Once the authorization is completed, it will be good for 10 years. Previously, the authorization was for 5 years. To continue with the authorization after it expires will require you to fill out VA form 10-0485 again.
If you wish to cancel your release of information authorization, visit the closest VAMC’s ROI office and ask for VA Form 10-0484. If you can need the form sent to you, call the VLER Health Information line at 1-877-771-VLER (8537) for the form which is also referred to as a “stop sharing” form.
You can also stop sharing online through your ebenefits account.
- Click Manage Health
- Scroll Down the Page until you can click VA Health Record Sharing.
- Click Manage My Consent and Preferences
- Click Revoke Consent
It should be noted that some community care providers need an additional release of information. Often this is needed when state laws require dual release of information or the provider requires it. You should contact your community provider to find out if this is needed. If it is needed, fill out the release of information for the provider and provide it to the ROI office at your closest VAMC in person or by email.
After the steps for consent are completed with the VAMC and if needed, your provider, the VA will share your health records with your community based healthcare providers. To find out if your providers use the medical chart software in sharing electronic health records with the VAMC, check out the guide below. The links contained in the guide direct you to the login page of your provider.
Current list of participating community health care providers
Nationwide
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
- Cedars-Sinai
- Community Medical Centers
- Contra Costa Health Services
- Cottage Health
- CVS MinuteClinic* – Palo Alto
- Dignity Health
- John Muir Health
- Kaiser Permanente
- MemorialCare
- OCHIN
- San Diego Health Connect*
- Providence Health
- Stanford Health Care
- Sutter Health
- UC Davis Health System*
- UC San Diego Health
- UC San Francisco Medical Center
Colorado
Connecticut
D.C.
Delaware
Florida
- Cleveland Clinic
- Martin Health System*
- Mount Sinai Medical Center
- Pensacola Strategic Health*
- University of Miami Health System*
- Walgreens Healthcare Clinics
Georgia
- Georgia Health Information Network
- Georgia Regional Academic Community HIE (GRAChIE)
- Grady Health
- OCHIN
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
- Allina Health*
- Altru Health System*
- CentraCare Health*
- Essentia Health*
- Fairview Health Services*
- HealthEast
- HealthpPartners*
- Hennepin County Medical Center*
- OCHIN
- Sanford Health*
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
- Cleveland Clinic
- Dignity Health
- OCHIN
- Sutter Health
- Utah Health Information Network
- Walgreens Healthcare Clinics
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
- Bon Secours Health System
- Buffalo Medical Group*
- Guthrie*
- Healthconnections
- NYU Langone Medical Center
- The Institute For Family Health*
- Weill Cornell Medical College*
- Western New York HealtheLink*
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
- Cleveland Clinic
- Kettering Health Network
- Mercy Health
- MetroHealth System
- OCHIN
- Ohio Health
- St. Elizabeth Healthcare
- Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
- Walgreens Healthcare Clinics
Oklahoma
Oregon
- Asante
- Kaiser Permanente
- Legacy Health
- OCHIN
- Oregon Health & Science University
- Providence Health
- Reliance eHealth Collaborative
- Salem Health
- The Portland Clinic
- Sanford Health*
Pennsylvania
- Allegheny Health Network*
- ClinicalConnect HIE
- Conemaugh Health System*
- Geisinger Health System*
- Guthrie*
- Keystone Health Information Exchange*
- Lancaster General Health
- Lehigh Valley Health Network*
- Pinnacle Health
- Reading Health System
- Walgreens Healthcare Clinics
Rhode Island
South Carolina
- Bon Secours Health System
- Carolinas Healthcare System
- Greenville Health System
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Novant Health
- South Carolina Health Information Exchange (SCHIEx)
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
- JPS Health Network
- OCHIN
- PHIX
- Shannon Medical Center
- Texas Health Resources*
- Walgreens Healthcare Clinics
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
- Bon Secours Health System
- Carilion Clinic
- Centra* ***
- INOVA
- Kaiser Permanente
- MedVirginia**
- Novant Health
- Sentara Healthcare
- University of Virginia Health System
Washington
- Group Health Cooperative
- Kaiser Permanente
- Kadlec Regional Medical Center
- Legacy Health
- Multicare Health System
- OCHIN
- Providence Health
- Swedish Health
- The Vancouver Clinic
West Virginia
Wisconsin
- Allina Health*
- Essentia Health*
- Gunderson Health System
- HealthpPartners*
- Mayo Clinic*
- OCHIN
- SSM Health Wisconsin
- ThedaCare Healthcare
- University of Wisconsin Health
Wyoming
* A consent form must be signed with your community provider for health information exchange with the VA providers.
** Unidirectional – Your community provider can receive information from the VA.
*** Unidirectional – The VA can receive health information from your community provider.
Legal Disclaimer:
This does not constitute an endorsement of any of the Community Care Partners listed and/or their products by the Department of Veteran Affairs. The sharing of health information between VA and its Community Care Partners is for Veterans enrolled in the VA health care system who have provided written authorization.