Who Has Official Access To A Vets Medical Records At A Vamc

[63SIERRA]

Does the chief of staff, and directors have legal access to a veterans medical records, or just the primary and other need to know health care workers in the veterans care.

Plz answer only if you are quite sure of the correct answer., thank ye

[john999]

If you are getting opiate medications the VA will share this information with state and federal drug enforcement agencies. They will inquire without your knowledge to see if you are in the state's data base for getting prescriptions for opiates outside the VA. The VA shares information with federal worker's compensation as to your disability and the nature and DX of your disabilities. I think you can assume that your medical information is pretty open to many eyes.

[63SIERRA]

im more interested to know, who in the VAMC has unfettered free authorized LEGAL access to a veterans file. I know the CP examiners have access, but im wondering who else. When signing the privacy act release, who exactly does that permit access to your records.

thanks for your reply.

[Buck52]

63SIERRA

I Seem to remember reading something about this in the CFR's a while back I can't remember all of it &I was totally surprised why/who they can release our medical records to unless you request a written restriction to the privacy officer at the VHA health care facility that provided or paid for your care & with approval check out> 45 :CFR:164.5229 (1)

They can also denied our request!

From what I read they have Authorization to release our medical records with or without our consent, only if they approve your written request and then you have to tell them what you don't want released (Identify) that's the only way we can not let our medical records be released or until you revoke your decision.

Here is just a few of the places they can release our medical records to other than the VA Dr's & C&P Exams ...> like John999 mention above!

1.Judicial Administration

2.Law Enforcement

3.Healthcare over sight

4.Workers Compensation

5.Correctional Facilties....& more!

Unless I read that wrong? that's what I remember or close to it.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Buck52

[Pete53]

they share info with your medicare advantage plan also.

[Berta]

"oes the chief of staff, and directors have legal access to a veterans medical records, or just the primary and other need to know health care workers in the veterans care.

Plz answer only if you are quite sure of the correct answer., thank ye"

Many years ago I had some run ins with 2 Directors of VA and their chief of staff.

I brought some of my dead husband's medical records with me. As far as I knew they didn't have access to them,unless they had a good reason.

Sometime after I had showed some of them to one Med Director at the local VAMC and he sort of agreed with what they revealed. Then he had to prepare a Peer review for my FTCA case. In that regard, he obtained all of the med recs and he also agreed with my FTCA charges. in that Peer review ,with a full medical rationale.

I guess maybe they could get access to them but why would anyone who is a direct or chief of staff at VA want to access pages and pages of any vet's med recs...unless they had a very good reason to..