Access to Clinical and Medical Treatment Records by Veterans, Next-of-Kin, Veteran's Authorized Representative
General:
Veterans, next-of-kin of deceased veterans, veteran's authorized representatives, and former non-military patients (retirees, dependents and others) who received care at a military treatment facility may request copies of documents or information from their clinical or medical records. Copies of most clinical and medical treatment records on file at NPRC (MPR) can be obtained upon request.
Preparing Requests for Information in Clinical and Medical Treatment Records:
Federal law [5 USC 552a(b)] requires that all requests for records and
information be authorized by the patient. Each request must be signed
(in cursive) and dated (within the last year). A signature verification form is required for
eVetRecs requests. Requests for certain types of restricted records require specific authorization from the veteran. You will be notified if this type of authorization is required and may receive
NA Form 13036, Authorization for Release of Military Medical Patient Records.
Clinical and medical treatment records are filed at NPRC (MPR) by the name of the facility which last had responsibility for the records. Therefore, requesters must provide certain information for NPRC (MPR) to retrieve the desired records:
Name of the Last Facility which had Responsibility for the Treatment Record
Usually this is the last facility at which treatment was provided.The Year and the Type of Treatment (inpatient, outpatient, dental, mental health, etc.) If you need copies of specific records, please be sure to state the type of illness, injury, or treatment involved.
The patient's Full Name used during treatment
The patient's Social Security Number and Status during treatment [military, retiree, dependent of military, federal employee, dependent, or other (specify)].
Branch of Service and Sponsor's Service Number and Social Security Number (if the former patient is/was a dependent).
Note: If you filed a medical-related claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs, your clinical (inpatient) records may be on file with that agency.
Please be sure to provide as much information as possible. It may not be possible to locate a record if important identifying information is missing. Send your request to:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
Costs:
Generally there is no charge for processing the requests for copies of medical records which are provided to veterans, next-of-kin, authorized representatives, and former non-military patients. If your request involves a service fee, you will be notified as soon as that determination is made.
Response Time:
Response time varies dependent upon the complexity of your request, the availability of records, and our workload. Please do not send a follow-up request before 90 days have elapsed as it may cause further delays.
"NARA ensures, for the Citizen and the Public Servant, for the President and the Congress and the Courts, ready access to essential evidence."
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