Greenbeard
Gold Member
Several weeks ago, the VA launched a Blue Button on the MyHealtheVet web portal that allows VA patients access to a personal health record. Now CMS has launched its own Blue Button on the MyMedicare.gov portal. "CMS puts Medicare personal health data at your fingertips":
Labs and e-prescribing data still to come.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has launched a new feature on the the MyMedicare.gov secure website that enables 47 million Medicare beneficiaries to view, download and print their complete medical records, officials announced.
The CMS "Blue Button" download feature is similar to the Veterans Affairs Departments debut of a Blue Button capability on its MyHealtheVet website in August.
The Blue Button capabilities are open government initiatives by both agencies in response to calls from the Markle Foundation and advocacy groups to allow patients greater access to their personal medical data.
The VAs Blue Button has already proven to be popular. Since it was introduced in August, more than 60,000 veterans have downloaded their medical files, the release said.
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Currently, only a small percentage of doctors use electronic record systems, but the adoption rate is expected to increase as a result of incentive payments under the economic stimulus law of 2009.
Having ready access to personal health information from Medicare claims can help beneficiaries understand their medical history and partner more effectively with providers, reads a news release published on the White House Blog.
Labs and e-prescribing data still to come.