Your gift is 100% tax deductible
Managing Your Medical Records and Health Insurance Receipts
Even if you’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, it's important to be organized and stay on top of your health infornation. Keeping copies of your medical records and health insurance receipts can make it easier to manage your care, future checkups, and any new concerns that might come up.
Learn what records you should keep and how to get and store them.
Why do I need copies of my medical records?
Each health care provider you see will need to know about your cancer and treatment history. Giving them copies of your medical records can help make sure they get correct information which can help them better plan your care.
Having access to your medical records also can help you better understand your health and medical problems and make decisions about your health care. You can look through your medical records at any time to review your status and prepare for your next medical visit or treatment.
What records should I keep?
If you have cancer, you should keep copies of or have access to certain medical records :
- Pathology reports from all of your biopsies and surgeries.
- Imaging test results (CT or MRI scans, etc.).
- Results of lab tests like blood work
- Operative report(s) if you had surgery.
- Discharge summaries you were given when you went home from any hospital stays.
- Visit summaries from primary care and cancer doctor visits and outpatient treatments A list of the anti-cancer medicines you were given including their names and doses, and how long you took them. This might include chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy.
- A treatment summary if you had radiation therapy.
- Contact information for the cancer care providers who treated you.
Once you have completed treatment, you might want to work with your health care team to put together a treatment summary and a survivorship care plan. These forms outline the most important parts of your cancer and cancer treatment.
It is also helpful to keep current records of:
- Other medical problems you have and how they are being treated
- Other medical procedures and surgeries you’ve had, including cancer screening tests
- Medicines you take, including the dose and how often you take them
- Any supplements or over-the-counter medicines you take
- Allergies you have to medicines, foods, or other allergens
- Vaccines you’ve had and when you had them
- Test results related to your health history, such as A1c for people with diabetes.
Also keep copies of any advance directives you have, such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care.
You also need to keep receipts of payments made by you or your health insurance provider. This can help if any questions or disputes come up in the future. For tips on how to do this see Keeping Up With Health Insurance During Cancer Treatment.
How do I get copies of my medical records?
You have a legal right (called "right to access") to get copies of your medical records. This includes electronic and print records.
Getting copies of your medical records has gotten easier as most health care organizations and providers now use electronic health records (EHR). EHRs let you log into a secure web portal (patient portal) to see and sometimes print your own records.
The main types of electronic records are:
Electronic health records (EHRs) are managed by the health care organization or provider. More than one organization may use the same system, but each will have their own access point. If you see providers in more than one organization who use the same system, you may be able to share your information between these organizations. This is not the case if health care organizations use different systems.
Electronic medical records (EMR) are used by medical offices to hold the medical information for the people they provide care to. You are not usually able to access the information in an EMR.
If your medical office or clinic doesn’t provide electronic access to their EMR, you can request copies of your medical records. You will probably need to request them in writing, and many offices have their own form for this. You might also be charged a fee.
Personal health records (PHRs) are used by individuals to manage their own health information. PHR’s might be part of a health care provider’s EHR. Or you can choose to use a separate electronic app to store and manage your personal health records.
It can get harder to get your medical records later. It's best to get copies of your medical records during or soon after cancer treatment. Ask your cancer care team for help getting copies of your records, if you don’t know how or are having trouble getting your medical records.
It can sometimes be hard to get copies of your medical records before you finish treatment. That's okay. The next health care provider you see can request them. You will likely need to give your permission to get your records to protect your privacy.
How should I keep copies of my medical records?
Many people prefer to keep printed copies of their medical records. That way they can share copies with a new health care provider. Other people like to keep their medical records electronically, either as files on their computer, tablet, or phone, other electronic devices, or in a personal health record (PHR).
No matter how you store your medical records, be sure that they are kept private and secure in a safe place to protect your personal information. You might also want to give copies to your spouse, partner, caregiver, or another trusted person in case you can’t get to yours.
Personal health information in an EHR is protected by federal laws to make sure they are kept private and secure.
- Written by
- References
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as editors and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. E-Health General Information. Accessed at https://www.cms.gov/priorities/key-initiatives/e-health on October 29, 2025.
DesRoches C, Bell S, Thomas EJ, Delbanco T. The clinician-patient relationship in the era of information transparency. 2023. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/the-clinician-patient-relationship-in-the-era-of-information-transparency on October 29, 2025.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. Medical Records: Getting Organized. Hopkinsmedicine.org. Accessed at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/medical-records-getting-organized on September 20, 2022.
Joint Commission. Keep a Record of Your Medical History and Current Medications. Accessed at https://www.jointcommission.org/en-us/knowledge-library/for-patients/takecharge/keep-a-record-of-your-medical-history-and-current-medications on October 29, 2025.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Individuals’ Right under HIPAA to Access their Health Information 45 CFR § 164.524. Accessed at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/access/index.html on October 29, 2025.
US Department of Health and Human Services. Personal health records and the HIPAA privacy rule. hhs.gov. Accessed at https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/special/healthit/phrs.pdf on October 29, 2025.
Last Revised: November 27, 2025
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.
American Cancer Society Emails
Sign up to stay up-to-date with news, valuable information, and ways to get involved with the American Cancer Society.
