• Health Data Privacy
  • Patient Rights

Understanding Your Rights to Your Medical Records

Did you know you have a legal right to access your complete medical records? Learn what rights you have and how to exercise them.

Dr. Sarah Chen, MD, MPH

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Sarah Chen, MD, MPH

Board-Certified Clinical Informatics Physician

Updated on November 15, 2024

Understanding Your Rights to Your Medical Records

Your Medical Records Belong to You

Many patients don’t realize they have comprehensive rights to their own health information. Under HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), you have the right to access, review, and obtain copies of your medical records from any healthcare provider.

Key Rights You Should Know

Right to Access: You can request access to your medical records at any time. Healthcare providers must respond within 30 days (or 60 days with an extension).

Right to Amend: If you find errors in your records, you can request corrections. Providers must respond to amendment requests within 60 days.

Right to Know Who Has Accessed Your Records: You can request an “accounting of disclosures” to see who has viewed your health information.

Right to Restrict Disclosures: You can request that providers limit how they share your information, though they aren’t always required to agree.

How VertexMD Helps

With VertexMD, you can:

  • Store all your medical records in one secure location
  • Access your health data anytime, even offline
  • Keep track of which providers have which records
  • Export your records in standard formats like PDF or FHIR

Taking Action

Start by requesting records from your primary care provider, specialists, and any hospitals you’ve visited. Once you have your records, store them securely in VertexMD so you always have access when you need it.

Your health data is yours—take control of it.

About the reviewer

Dr. Sarah Chen, MD, MPH

Dr. Sarah Chen, MD, MPH

Board-Certified Clinical Informatics Physician

Dr. Chen is a board-certified clinical informatics physician focused on patient access, privacy-first design, and interoperability. She reviews VertexMD content for clinical accuracy and translates standards like FHIR and HIPAA into practical guidance for tracking medical records across providers and devices.

  • Clinical informatics
  • Patient access & HIPAA rights
  • Health data privacy
  • FHIR & interoperability
  • Personal health records

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