How to Check It
Explore these tips on how to make sure your health record is accurate — it’s your right.
Complete, Correct, and Up-To-Date
Providers need complete and accurate information to provide you with the right care. Once you get your health record (also known as a medical record), look it over to make sure that all of your health information is complete, correct, and up to date. This is important because you may have forgotten to tell your healthcare provider something or they may have forgotten to write it down. The staff in your provider’s office are busy people who make mistakes just like everyone else.
Some Examples of Common Errors:
Missed Medication or Allergy
You may have forgotten to tell your provider about something — like a new medication or allergy
Incorrect/Incomplete Health Information
Your provider might have misunderstood, incorrectly noted, or left out something — like information about your health history or your symptoms
Billing Error for Unreceived Test
Your provider might have charged you for a test you didn’t have
If you don’t check your record, you won’t know these mistakes have been made, and they could impact your future health and treatment. Explore these tips on what kind of mistakes to look for – and what to do if you find one!
What Kind of Mistakes Am I Looking For?
You’re looking for mistakes or out-of-date information that will affect how your health care provider diagnoses and treats you, whether your provider can contact you, and how you’ll be billed. You can let typos go, but if a mistake can affect your health or your bank account, it should be fixed.
It’s Important to Check It!
Nearly 1 in 10 people who check their online health record ask to have a mistake corrected.
Source: Data Brief 40 [PDF – 1.7 MB]
Check Your Personal Information
- Name, address, and phone number
- Health insurance plan’s name and phone number
- Identification numbers, like your patient identification number or social security number
- Emergency contact names, addresses, and phone numbers
Check Your Health Information
- Doctor’s appointment notes
- Health or medical history
- Signs of illness (called symptoms)
- Immunizations
- Health conditions (sometimes called diagnoses or problem lists)
- Allergies
- Medicines (what you take, how much, and when)
- Tests
- Surgeries and other procedures
Check Your Medical Bills
Make sure you’re only being charged for services you’ve received. You can do this by comparing the information in your health record with:
- The reports your health insurance plan sends you (often called Explanation of Benefits)
- The bills from your doctor or other health care providers
What Do I Do If Something Is Incorrect or Missing?
You’re looking for mistakes or out-of-date information that will affect how your healthcare provider diagnoses and treats you, whether your provider can contact you, and how you’ll be billed. You can let typos go, but if a mistake can affect your health or your bank account, it should be fixed.
If you want to have a mistake fixed, follow these steps:
Step 1
Contact Your Provider
Contact your provider’s office and find out what their process is for updating or correcting your health record. They may ask you to write a letter or fill out a form. If they have a form, ask them to email, fax, or mail a copy to you.
For more information about how to contact your provider, see How do I get started?
Step 2
Write Down What You Want Fixed
If your provider has a form, and you want to fix a simple mistake, fill out the form and attach a copy of the health record page where you found the mistake.
If your provider doesn’t have a form or if the mistake is complex, you may want to write a letter describing the correction. Make sure you include:
- Your full name, address, and phone number
- Your doctor’s, nurse’s, or provider’s full name and address
- Date of service
- A short, specific, and clear explanation of what needs to be fixed and why
- A copy of the record page where you found the mistake
Step 3
Make a Copy of Your Request
Make a complete copy of everything you’re sending to your provider for your own records.
Step 4
Send Your Request
Depending on your provider’s processes, you may be able to deliver your request different ways:
- Secure email through your patient portal
- Non-secure email (your personal email)
- Fax
- Mail (standard postal service)
- In person
Note
If you want to send your request by email, you’ll need to attach digital copies (PDF files) of the record page where you found the mistake and the request form. Messages you send through your patient portal are secure, which helps protect your privacy and personal information. But your personal email isn’t secure, which makes it easier for someone to view or steal your personal information.
Find Out Who Needs to Fix the Mistake
Make sure you address your request to the specific doctor or other provider who made the mistake. It will be their responsibility to fix it. Note: Your doctor or provider may have retired or changed practices. If this is the case, the clinic, office, or hospital can tell you who should take care of your request.
What Happens After I Request a Correction?
Your healthcare provider has 60 days to respond to your request, unless they ask for an extension (extra time). Here’s what you can expect:
If your provider agrees there’s a mistake in your health record, they’ll update your record and send you a notice — either in your patient portal or via email or mail — that they’ve taken care of it.
If your provider does not agree with you, they’ll send you a denial notice that should include:
People who might need this information include:
- The reason they’re not going to change the record. For example, they might say they believe your health record is correct and complete.
- Information about how to respond to their decision.
What Do I Do If My Provider Doesn’t Agree With My Request?
If your health care provider does not agree with you that there is a mistake in your health record, you can:
- Send them a formal letter in reply to their decision, stating clearly why you disagree. Their denial notice should include instructions on how to do that. If not, call their office. Your response will be attached to your health record.
- If you don’t want to reply to the denial notice, you can ask your provider to attach a copy of your original request and the denial notice to the affected page(s) of your health record.
- File a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services if you think the reason the provider gives you for denying your request is wrong. Get more information on filing a complaint at HHS.gov.