The Department of Defense is set to shut down the online portal that allows patients to access previous military health records. If you want to keep your medical information, it’s essential to download your records before the portal goes offline on April 1. With the Defense Health Agency’s shift to the MHS Genesis electronic health record system, traditional Tricare Online Patient Portal access will come to an end. While medical providers will still have access to old records, they won’t be available online anymore.
Officials encourage patients to save their health records before this change. “All military hospitals and clinics have successfully transitioned to MHS Genesis. We recommend taking steps now to preserve your health information,” said Rear Adm. Tracy Farrill, an expert with the DHA.
If you’re looking to download your records, just visit www.tricareonline.com. You’ll need to log in using a DS Logon, Common Access Card, or myPay login. Once you’re in, click on the “Health Record” tab to view and download your information. You can choose a PDF or XML file, which can be shared with other providers or family members.
It’s important to note that your medical records may not be complete. This depends on when you joined the military health system and when your specific facility switched to MHS Genesis, which took place gradually from 2017 to 2024. As Brenda Campbell, a DHA spokeswoman, explains, the records you see will only reflect the periods when your military treatment facility was using the previous system or MHS Genesis.
MHS Genesis records do not include details from earlier electronic or paper health records, but medical staff can still access those for treatment purposes. The Department of Defense began working with Cerner, now part of Oracle Health, back in 2015 to create a system that would work with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ records.
Currently, MHS Genesis is in use at 138 military clinics and hospitals, serving over 3,600 locations globally. The VA also partnered with Cerner for a similar system in 2018 but faced challenges in implementation, and so far, it has been installed in only six sites.
For families, parents of children under 12 can still access and download legacy health records, but those with children aged 12 to 17 can only see limited information online, such as test results and immunization details. Once children turn 18, they can request their own records directly from their military treatment facility.
Even with the closing of the DoD portal, service members can still file claims with the VA without issue, as medical providers will maintain access to health records. The DHA strongly advises everyone to download and save their medical history. “Your health information is essential for managing your wellness,” recommended Farrill.
