No. Your doctor is not required to offer Blue Button to you today. However, there are financial incentives available from the federal government to encourage health care providers to adopt electronic health records (EHRs) and to use these systems in a way that improves your care. In order to receive these payments, doctors must provide their patients with an electronic copy of their health records. Over time, these requirements will expand and your doctor will be required to provide you with a way to view, download and share your health records online. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), however, your doctor does have to give you access to your health records upon request, and to do so in an electronic format if it’s easy for him or her to do so.