VA Blue Button

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed the Blue Button in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Department of Defense, along with the Markle Foundation's Consumer Engagement Workgroup. VA’s Blue Button became operational and  was made nationally available in October 2010.

The Blue Button feature allows Veterans to access and download their information into a very simple text file (or PDF document) that can be read, printed, or saved on any computer.  The VA Blue Button gives Veterans complete access to the information in their medical record – without any special software – and enables Veterans to share this data with their health care providers, caregivers, or people they trust.

Data elements currently available for download include:

•  Demographic Information
•  Emergency Contact Information
•  Health Care Providers
•  Health Insurance
•  Treatment Facilities
•  Medical Conditions and Personal Medical History
•  Medications, Herbals, and Supplements
•  Allergies and Adverse Reactions
•  Lab and Test Results
•  Immunizations
•  Vitals and Readings
•  Family Health History (Self and Relatives)
•  Military Health History
•  Health Data (blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, etc.)
•  Other health-related information the Veteran feels a doctor or hospital might need to know