The right route depends on what is already available and which organization holds the record. Download records that are already available in your portal. If records are not available there, or if a different organization holds them, use that holder’s formal request process.

HHS explains that people generally have a right to inspect or get copies of their health and billing records from HIPAA-covered providers and health plans, with some exceptions. HealthIT.gov encourages patients to get and check their records, and MedlinePlus explains why keeping your own personal health record can help when care comes from more than one place.

Choose portal download or a formal request based on scope

If the portal shows only part of what you need, use both routes: download what is already there and request the rest from the record holder.

Map the organizations that may hold part of the record

Records can be split across organizations. Before you send requests, list the places involved in your care. Ask each organization which records it maintains, which department handles access requests, and whether a separate request is needed for any part of the record. Do not assume one office has the full file.

Create a request log with:

• organization name
• department, if known
• dates of care
• the records you want from that organization
• how you plan to submit the request
• the date you sent it
• what arrived
• anything still missing

Decide the scope, dates, and format before you ask

Specific requests are easier to submit and easier to check when the files arrive. Decide these details first:

Examples of a precise scope:

• Records for care from January 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025
• Hospital stay from May 12 through May 14, 2025
• Radiology report and image files for the study performed on June 7, 2025

If you want a broad copy for a time period, do not rely on a short example list alone. Use the holder’s official form and name the categories you need from that organization so you can compare the response against your request.

Sample request language

I am requesting copies of records your organization maintains for my care from January 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025. Please include the following categories for that period: visit notes, discharge paperwork, lab reports, imaging reports, image files, medication list, and billing records. Please send the records using one of the formats or delivery options your organization offers.

Submit through the holder’s official process

Use the record holder’s official medical records request process and keep a copy of what you send. At submission time:

• complete the holder’s request form when one is provided
• enter the date range and record types you want
• complete any required fields on the form
• sign and date the request if the form asks for that
• save any confirmation number, receipt, or portal message
• keep a copy of the submitted request

This page covers requests for your own records. If you need access to another person’s records, review HHS guidance on personal representatives before assuming the same process applies.

Track status, fees, and partial responses

For HIPAA-covered providers and health plans, HHS explains the federal rules around access, copies, some exceptions, and fees. Other applicable rules and each organization’s own process can affect timing and handling, so use the live HHS page if you need the current federal baseline.

Track each request in one place:

Example tracker:

Use one request block for each record holder:

If a request is delayed or incomplete, follow up using the same dates and document list from your original request.

Sample follow-up message

On April 10, 2025, I requested copies of my records for care from January 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025. I received a response on May 1, 2025, but the following requested items appear missing: discharge summary and imaging report. Please confirm whether these items are maintained by your organization, were sent separately, or were not included in the response.

Check what arrived before you store it

After you download medical records or receive them another way, review them before you file them away. HealthIT.gov advises patients to check their records.

Use this checklist:

• confirm the record belongs to you
• confirm the date range matches what you requested
• confirm the expected document types are present
• if you asked for imaging, check whether you received the report, the image files, or both
• look for missing pages, unreadable scans, duplicates, or empty files
• keep the original files unchanged
• write down any gaps in a separate note

Compare what arrived against your written request, not against memory.

If the record seems inaccurate or incomplete

Start by asking whether the missing item is held somewhere else, was sent separately, or was left out of the response. If information in a HIPAA-covered record appears wrong or incomplete, HHS explains that you can ask the provider or health plan to amend the record. Keep a copy of your amendment request and any reply.

Document it this way:

1. keep the original file exactly as received
2. list the missing or questionable items
3. send a short written amendment or clarification request
4. save the reply with the original record

Organize what you actually received

A personal health record can help you keep information from different places together. Once you have the files, organize what actually arrived, not what you expected to be there.

Next steps:

• Organize the records you receive
• Build a medical history summary
• Learn how to connect medical records to a health app
• Browse more help in the patient guide library
• Learn more about Glass for Patients

Once the files arrive, you can organize them yourself or bring supported records into Glass on a paid patient plan. Glass does not replace the holder’s request process, and a connection does not establish that every requested record arrived.

Patient Service eligibility and limits

Glass for Patients is available to adults age 18 or older who live in the United States or its territories and have, and intend to consult, their own physician or other licensed health care provider before acting on information received through the Patient Service.

Glass for Patients provides general health information and educational support. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, clinical recommendations, urgent triage, or a substitute for a licensed clinician. Review the current Terms of Service.