Agreement to Terms & Conditions
 

Agreement & Disclaimers

General Disclaimer

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides this web portal to you subject to the following Terms and Conditions. You must agree to these Terms and Conditions to access My HealtheVet.

My HealtheVet is a Department of Veterans Affairs web portal intended for use by the public for viewing, retrieving, and storing information only, except as otherwise explicitly authorized. Establishing a My HealtheVet account is intended exclusively for United States veterans, their advocates, and employees of the Veterans Health Administration. All site information resides on and transmits through protected federal computer systems and networks funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

My HealtheVet may partner with select third parties to provide health information or information services. Where possible we will indicate the source of the information presented. When partner content or service has its own privacy and security policies, we will provide that information and strongly recommend that you read and familiarize yourself with those policies.

My HealtheVet use and disclosure of your information (including health information) is limited as required by federal law. We only use the specified information you provide to us for the purpose identified. We do not sell, trade, or rent personal information about visitors to this site or customers who use the site. We reserve the right to perform statistical analyses and profiling of user behavior and characteristics in order to measure interest in and use of the various areas of the site. We may at times share aggregate information (i.e., anonymous, statistical data) about our users within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for quality assurance audits and My HealtheVet program administrative needs.

My HealtheVet knows that privacy and security of your information matter to you. We respect your privacy and have taken measures to provide appropriate levels of security to protect your personal information. Certain information about your account may be shared with authorized personnel in order to administer the My HealtheVet program. We deploy industry standard computer security technology to protect information you provide to us.

My HealtheVet and Your VA Medical Records

Your VA doctors, nurses and other health care staff DO NOT have electronic access to any information you enter and save on My HealtheVet. If you would like to share your My HealtheVet information with your VA or other health care provider, you will need to print it and bring the printouts with you to your provider. We have provided printer-friendly formats for all self-entered data. Any address or contact information you enter is used for your wallet card, to find local VA events for the My HealtheVet calendar, for help desk and system information correspondence, and as part of an initial information matching required for prescription refill verification. Any updates you make to your contact information on My HealtheVet WILL NOT be submitted to VA or updated in your VA Medical Records, or VistA. It is possible that the address you enter in your My HealtheVet account does not match the address as appears in your official VA record. VA will make no attempt to identify or correct these non-matches. You must contact the VA Medical Facility where you receive care in order to update your official VA address of record.

The parts of your VA Medical Record displayed in My HealtheVet are electronic copies of your official medical record. Your VA Medical Record that is stored at VA Medical Centers remains the official and authoritative VA electronic medical record.

My HealtheVet and Any Claim for Compensation or Non-Service Connected Pension with the Veterans Benefits Administration

Members of the Veterans Benefits Administration (your local VA Regional Office) DO NOT have access to any information you enter and save on My HealtheVet. Any such information DOES NOT constitute a claim for benefits, a claim for increased benefits or a claim for reconsideration of a previously decided claim. This system may not be used to change your address for purposes of payments made by the Veterans Benefits Administration. If you wish to file a claim or change your address for disability benefits purposes, you must contact your local VA Regional Office.

Medical Disclaimer

The My HealtheVet online "Service" is a World Wide Web-based health information and communication service provided by the Veterans Health Administration. It contains information and services from external content providers known as "Suppliers". As used in the My HealtheVet Medical Disclaimer and Agreement, "We", "Us", or "Our" refers to My HealtheVet. "You" or "User(s)" refers to users of this Service.

The terms and conditions of this medical disclaimer and agreement may change from time to time. Any revised Privacy or Security Statement will apply both to information we already have about you at the time of the change and any personal information created or received after the change takes effect. We include a version number on the Terms and Conditions Statement and Privacy Statement consisting of the date (month, day, and year) it was last revised. Your use of the site signifies your agreement to these terms and conditions.

The information provided by My HealtheVet is based on current medical literature; however, the information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The health-related information and resources available through My HealtheVet are NOT intended to be used for or replace the advice of your doctor, your current medical diagnosis, or your current treatment. As always, seek advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider before starting new treatment, modifying your current treatment, or when you have questions regarding a medical condition or disease. The information provided by My HealtheVet is intended to help you and others make better healthcare decisions and take greater responsibility for your own health.

As a result of the dynamic nature of the healthcare and pharmaceutical fields, information contained on My HealtheVet may become outdated and subject to disagreement within the healthcare industry. Always consult the advice of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your medical condition.

My HealtheVet is a web portal provided by Veterans Health Administration of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The Offices of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Under Secretary for Health, and the My HealtheVet program provide it as a public service. Except for user-entered data, information presented on this site (such as news articles) is considered public information and may be freely distributed or copied unless otherwise indicated. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested. Other websites may link to My HealtheVet's official URL of http://www.myhealth.va.gov.

Agreement

YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT NEITHER WE NOR OUR SUPPLIERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESULTS OF YOUR DECISIONS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, YOUR CHOOSING TO SEEK OR NOT TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL CARE, OR YOUR CHOOSING OR NOT CHOOSING TO MODIFY OR TERMINATE SPECIFIC TREATMENT BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THIS ONLINE SERVICE. FURTHER, YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MY HEALTHEVET PROGRAM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA) MAY CONTACT YOU REGARDING SURVEYS, QUESTIONNAIRES, AND POLLS. YOUR PARTICIPATION IN QUESTIONNAIRES AND POLLS IS VOLUNTARY AND NOT REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN MY HEALTHeVET.

Your Obligations

My HealtheVet is a Department of Veterans Affairs web portal intended for use by the public to allow for the creation of accounts viewing, retrieving, and storing information only, except as otherwise explicitly authorized. All site information resides on and transmits through protected federal computer systems and networks funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Your use of My HealtheVet means you understand, accept and grant your unconditional consent for VA to review and take action including (but not limited to) monitoring, recording, copying, auditing, inspecting, investigating, restricting access, blocking, tracking, sharing with authorized personnel, or any other authorized actions by authorized VA and law enforcement personnel.

Threats, attempts, or actions to modify this system, deny access to the system, gain unauthorized access to data, breach system security or otherwise damage the system or data contained within is strictly prohibited. These actions may result in criminal, civil, or administrative penalties resulting from violations of Federal Laws including, but not limited to, 18 U.S.C. 1030 (Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Computers) and 18 U.S.C. 2701 (Unlawful Access to Stored Communications).

Prescription Refill

My HealtheVet Prescription Refill offers a secure and private online option for registered My HealtheVet users to view personal VA prescription information and to request refills. To use this feature you must have a prescription written by a VAMC provider and filled at least once at a VA pharmacy. The My HealtheVet user has the ability to view and request refills from the issuing VA pharmacy.

The delivery method for a prescription refilled online will be CMOP - VA's Consolidated Mail Out Pharmacy. The address used by CMOP to mail your prescriptions is the address they have on file, which may not be the same as the address you enter or update in your My HealtheVet account. CMOP CANNOT SEE any contact information you enter or change in your My HealtheVet account. If you prefer, you can still pick up your refill in person, continue to use the telephone or use the mail refill services.

There are no limits on the number of prescription refills that can be submitted on a given day. However, the same prescription can not be submitted multiple times. If the VA pharmacy is unable to refill the prescription as requested, you will receive a message on screen directing you to contact the issuing VA pharmacy. You must be a registered My HealtheVet user to view your prescription history.

When a prescription refill or a prescription history page is opened, the personal information you entered when you registered for My HealtheVet is compared to information in the VA's main computer system to ensure that you are receiving only your prescription information from every applicable VA facility.

If you have any questions about a specific prescription contact your issuing VA pharmacy directly. You are responsible for any co-pays resulting from refilling a prescription using My HealtheVet just like you would be if you refilled the prescription in person or using the telephone.

From time to time online prescription refill services will not be available, either due to technical issues or maintenance. During these times, you should contact your pharmacy directly to arrange for prescription refills or use your VA Medical Center's telephone refill system.

Printing

You may choose to print copies of your Personal Health Record or Self-Entered Information from My HealtheVet. If you do, you are advised to take actions to protect your health information. Once you print your personal information, the security of that information is your responsibility. Remember to check for documents on printers and destroy all health information you do not need.

Deleting Your Account

As the legal owner of your account, you may chose to delete your MHV account at any time. You must notify the helpdesk if you wish to delete your account. You must confirm your decision to delete the account prior to it being deleted. Be aware that once deleted, information from the account becomes immediately inaccessible and cannot be retrieved.

Privacy Act Warning

You do not have to provide the personal information requested for My HealtheVet registration, but if you don't, we will be unable to process any request for copies of your VA health records or provide you My HealtheVet electronic services such as VA prescription refill. Your decision not to provide this information will not have any effect on any other benefits to which you may be entitled.

Privacy Act Statement

My HealtheVet recognizes the premium you place on privacy protection on the Internet and we make every effort to protect your privacy. Certain administrative information, such as your name, user ID, date of birth, social security number, gender, email address, user type, and zip code are collected in order to provide you access to My HealtheVet and is subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a, as amended). Only authorized persons in the conduct of official business may use personal, administrative information contained in the Privacy Act System of Records. My HealtheVet Administrative System of Records (130VA19). Any unauthorized disclosure or misuse of personal administrative information may result in criminal and/or civil penalties. Any individual may file a civil action in a Federal District Court against VA if the individual believes that VA violated the Privacy Act.

For site management, information is collected for statistical and management purposes. My HealtheVet uses software programs to create anonymous, summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing what My HealtheVet information and services are useful to you and other users, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. For security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, My HealtheVet employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no attempts are made to identify individual users, to link an individual user to health data entered in My HealtheVet, or to track an individual user�s usage habits. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under Federal law.

My HealtheVet is a Department of Veterans Affairs computer system. This computer system, including all related equipment, networks, and network devices (specifically including Internet access) are provided only for authorized uses. VA computer systems may be monitored for all lawful purposes, including: ensuring that their use is authorized, managing the system, protecting against unauthorized access, verifying security procedures, ensuring survivability, and enabling operational security. During monitoring, information may be examined, recorded, copied and used for authorized purposes.

Security

At all times, security maintenance and administration is an essential element of My HealtheVet operation and maintenance. My HealtheVet employs several levels of security to protect the personal identifiable information of registered users. In addition, these security levels are in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (Pub. L. 104-191, Aug 21, 1996,110 Stat. 1936), and implementing regulations 45 CFR, Parts 160 and 164.

When you type in your personal information, My HealtheVet establishes a secure connection with your computer so your information is 'encrypted' or scrambled for transmission and storage. A security protocol, Secure Socket Layer (SSL), provides transmission level encryption between your computer and My HealtheVet server machines. SSL is a method for protecting a My HealtheVet User ID, Password, and other information during transmission.

Responsibility for Personal Information

Users can establish links on their personal My HealtheVet home page, enter appointments into a personal calendar, and establish personal eVAults for storing self-entered health information and metrics. Users may then choose to share any portion of the information within their accounts including the self-entered metrics. Users of My HealtheVet are the sole owners of the information contained in their My HealtheVet accounts, and as such, take full responsibility for consequences of disclosing information in their accounts to other individuals.

Registration and Log-In

You are always welcome to use My HealtheVet without registering or logging in. However, if you want to use the full power of My HealtheVet, a User ID and Password are required for identification. By registering for an account on the My HealtheVet System, you are agreeing to the tenets of the Terms and Conditions document and understanding of your responsibilities in the Privacy Policy document. Veterans who currently are or have been patients at a VA Medical Center may also have access to certain portions of their health information maintained in their VA medical record. To view copies of your VA medical record as it becomes available through My HealtheVet, you must also provide your Social Security Number (SSN) during registration. Your SSN is required in order to gain electronic access to your VA medical record and to use the online VA Prescription Refill services. Your SSN will not be used for any other purpose and will be encrypted or scrambled when stored or transmitted by My HealtheVet. You will also be issued a system-generated My HealtheVet ID (MHV ID) which will be used for account administration, in-person authentication, assignment of delegation privileges, and communication with the help desk.

Cookies

My HealtheVet does not use "persistent cookies" to retain information on users of My HealtheVet. VA prohibits the use of "persistent cookies," a type of web technology that can be used for collecting user-identifying information over time and across different web sites.

Password

When you register for a My HealtheVet account you are prompted to create a Password. Access to your account will be Password protected. We strongly recommend that you do not divulge your Password to anyone. VA personnel are not authorized to ask for your Password and My HealtheVet will never send you an email nor call you by telephone asking for your password. If you forget your Password you may go to the My HealtheVet website(www.myhealth.va.gov) and request a new Password. Many Internet browsers such as Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator allow you to save User IDs and Passwords. When prompted by a browser to save your My HealtheVet User ID and Password, you should decline this option. Saving User IDs and Passwords could potentially allow persons who gain access to your computer to access your personal information. In some cases, you may have an option to unselect a checked box that prompts you to save this information. To prevent this prompt from appearing again, you can unselect the checked box by clicking on it with your mouse.

Use of E-mail Addresses

My HealtheVet reserves the right to contact you via the email address you provide regarding important system or account information, major changes planned for My HealtheVet or for other system-related needs.

If you request email newsletters from within My HealtheVet when they become available, you can receive information that may help you better manage your care. My HealtheVet will only use your e-mail address to forward you materials on the information in which you have indicated interest. Your e-mail address may also be used to send you reminders for forgotten User IDs and Passwords. In the future, it may be used as a tool for secure messaging. If you no longer wish to receive email newsletters, you always have the ability at any time to opt out of it. For security reasons, some Internet service providers or third-party e-mail providers may block messages coming to you from sources that are not on a pre-approved list. In these cases, it is your responsibility to ensure MyHealtheVet@va.gov and MyHealtheVet@med.va.gov are on the pre-approved list. My HealtheVet is not responsible for any consequences resulting from our emails being blocked by your Internet Service Provider, spam-blocking software, or similar.

Logging Out

You should remember to log out when you are finished using those My HealtheVet services that require a User ID and Password. This prevents someone else from accessing your personal information if you leave, share, or use a public computer (e.g., library computer, Internet cafe). If you forget to log out and there is no activity on your account for 15 minutes, My HealtheVet will notify you and your session will automatically timeout.

Exiting the Site

My HealtheVet has links to many other organizations and websites. In a few cases, we link to private organizations with their permission. Once you follow a link to another website, you are subject to the privacy and security policy of the new site. When My HealtheVet links to external Internet websites, it does so by opening a new window (or browser) on your screen. Any information in these secondary windows (browsers) should be considered external to the My HealtheVet web portal, and VA is not responsible for its content.

Surveys, Questionnaires and Polls

My HealtheVet may use surveys, questionnaires and polls to facilitate feedback and input from you and other users. When you respond to surveys, questionnaires or polls related to My HealtheVet, this information is collected only as anonymous, aggregated information and is used for statistical and design purposes.

Changes to this Policy

This privacy and security policy may be revised. When we make a change that affects the collection and use of your personal information or our security and privacy policy, we will post a notice on the My HealtheVet home page and update our Terms and Conditions. Upon log in you will be prompted to read and accept the new Terms and Conditions. You must accept the updated Terms and Conditions in order to continue using your My HealtheVet account. If you choose not to accept the Terms & Conditions you will not be allowed to complete your login. You will have the opportunity to go back to My HealtheVet, review the new Terms & Conditions, and choose to accept or decline them; however, until the terms are accepted you will not be able to access your information.

Definitions

Web Portal is a web site that provides a starting point, a gateway, or portal, to other resources on the Internet or an intranet. MHV offers "one stop" access to VA health, benefit, and memorial services; access to high-quality health and wellness information; and the veteran's own personal health record.

Reviewed/Updated December 30, 2008