Health Records Enhancement Act
The Health Records Enhancement Act would require the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to enable adding new health information to the records of deceased veterans. Within one year of enactment, they must establish a process allowing an individual designated by the deceased veteran—or, if no designation exists, an immediate family member—to submit observed health conditions and other relevant health information for supplementation (not modification) of the veteran’s health records. A designation process would be created to identify who may submit updates. The provision applies to veterans who were enrolled in the VA patient enrollment system or who were eligible for TRICARE. The intent is to augment the historical health record with post-enrollment health information without altering existing data.
Key Points
- 1Requires DoD and VA to implement a joint process within one year to allow supplementation of health records for deceased enrollees.
- 2An individual designated by the deceased enrollee, or an immediate family member if no designation exists, may submit updates about observed health conditions and other relevant health information.
- 3Any updates must supplement (not modify) the information already in the deceased enrollee’s health records.
- 4The bill creates a designation process to determine who is authorized to submit updates.
- 5Definitions clarify who qualifies as an “immediate family member” and who counts as a “deceased enrollee” (VA enrollment or TRICARE eligibility).