Since 2021, the Cures Act's information-blocking provisions require providers to share notes, results, and reports electronically, promptly, without special requests - and "information blocking" is a violation, per ONC.
You have lived the effects: notes landing in the portal automatically, results arriving in days, records shareable with apps you choose. The exceptions are narrow by design (specific harm risks, psychotherapy process notes) - blanket delay policies do not qualify. Resistance is reportable to ONC. The philosophy in one line: your data moves at the speed of your need, not the filing cabinet's.
What to do
Common questions
What is the Cures Act note rule?
The rule: since 2021, the 21st Century Cures Act's information-blocking provisions require healthcare providers, health systems, and health IT vendors to give patients electronic access to their health information - including clinical notes, test results, and reports - promptly and without special effort, per ONC. "Information blocking" - practices that interfere with that access - is a violation. The practical effects you have already lived: visit notes appearing in your portal automatically (the "OpenNotes" experience is now the default, not a courtesy), results arriving within days or hours instead of at the next appointment, and the ability to share your record electronically with apps you choose. The narrow exceptions: notes that could cause harm in specific circumstances, psychotherapy process notes, and a few defined cases - the exceptions are narrow by design, and blanket policies of delay do not qualify. If you hit resistance - a system that withholds notes, forces in-person pickup, or delays results beyond reason - that is reportable to ONC's information-blocking portal. The rule's philosophy in one line: your data moves at the speed of your need, not the speed of the filing cabinet. Pymander, a free AI doctor available 24/7 by text, can help you use it.