Medical Treatment Records

Original clinical and medical treatment records are returned to Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) upon request.  Clinical and medical treatment records that were retired to NPRC prior to 2002 must be ordered by submitting DD Form 877 to NPRC at the following address:

NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138

Medical records retired to NPRC from 2002 onward are electronically indexed in the NPRC Medical Registry System (MRS).   The records ordering portion of the legacy MRS application is currently being incorporated into NARA’s Case Management Reporting System (CMRS) eMilRecs.  More information on how to order records through CMRS eMilRecs will be posted once the system is ready for use.  In the interim, clinical and medical treatment records that were retired into NPRC MRS must also be ordered through the submission of a DD Form 877.

Please Note: NPRC will accept faxed requests only in cases of an emergency.  These emergency requests must state that there is a medical emergency and provide a deadline date, if applicable. 

Contact NPRC at (314) 801-0800 before faxing your request to (314) 801-0764.

Ordering Medical Records Using the DD Form 877

All other medical treatment records that are not indexed in MRS are stored in and identified by the shipment in which they were retired.  MTFs which recall records that they originally retired to NPRC must provide information regarding the shipment containing the desired record to facilitate retrieval.  This shipment information includes the transfer/accession number, box number, and any patient identifiers. 

DD Form 877 Instructions.  The DD Form 877 is the only request form that NPRC will accept from Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) for retired clinical and medical treatment records.  This form is authorized for use by military facilities ONLY.  Do not distribute to individuals for personal use.  Follow the instructions below to complete the form:

1. Please check to make sure that records have been retired to NPRC before preparing the form.  Most inactive records are held at the MTF 1 to 5 years after the end of the treatment year before retirement.  Contact the Records Management Officer of the related MTF to find out if the desired records have been retired, if they are in a records holding area, or if they are still located at the MTF. 
2. The Records Management Officer maintains copies of the Standard Form 135, Records Transmittal and Receipt, that provides an index of what records were retired in shipments to NPRC prior to 2002.  IMPORTANT:  To expedite any request, ask the Records Management Officer for the transfer/accession number and agency box number to enter this information into item 9 on the form. 
3. To expedite the request for records, you must complete items 1 through 10 and item 19 of the form.  Incomplete forms will be returned.
4. List all entries related to a patient at the time of treatment.
5. Submit one form per patient, per type, and year of record(s) requested.

   Inpatient Records - Inpatient (clinical) and inpatient medical treatment records generally contain documentation of treatment during a single calendar year.  These records are normally retired and identified by the MTF that created them.  Requests for inpatient records must include the MTF name and the year of hospitalization.

   Active Duty Health Record (Service Treatment Record) - NPRC maintains the health records for all military and Coast Guard personnel separated from service prior to the following dates:  Army - October 16, 1992; Air Force - May 1, 1994; Coast Guard – April 1, 1998; Navy - January 31, 1994; and Marine Corps - May 1, 1994.  After these dates, the health records are maintained by:

   Branch	Status	Date	Record Location
   Army	Discharged, retired, or separated from any component	10/16/1992 to 12/31/2013	Department of VA, Records Management Center
   		on or after 01/01/2014	AMEDD Record Processing Center
   Navy	Discharged, retired, or separated from any component	01/31/1994 to 12/31/2013	Department of VA, Records Management Center
   		on or after 01/01/2014	BUMED Navy Medicine Records Activity
   Air Force	Discharged, retired, or separated from any component	05/01/1994 to 12/31/2013	Department of VA, Records Management Center
   		on or after 01/01/2014	AF STR Processing Center
   	Discharged or retired from Reserves or National Guard	06/01/1994 to 12/31/2013	Department of VA, Records Management Center
   		on or after 01/01/2014	AF STR Processing Center
   Marine Corps	Discharged, retired, or separated from any component	05/01/1994 to 12/31/2013	Department of VA, Records Management Center
   		on or after 01/01/2014	BUMED Navy Medicine Records Activity
   Coast Guard	Discharged, retired, or separated from Active Duty - Reservists with 90 days active duty for training	04/01/1998 to 09/30/2014	Department of VA, Records Management Center

   Outpatient Records – Outpatient medical treatment records are generally cumulative.  An outpatient medical treatment record may contain documents covering several years from multiple MTFs.  When these records reach inactive status, they are retired and usually identified by the MTF at which the patient was last treated or stationed.  Requests for outpatient medical treatment records must include the type of record being requested, the MTF name, and the last year of treatment.
   
   Please be aware that reassignments that take place after the last treatment may result in outpatient medical treatment records being transferred to and retired from MTFs other than where the last treatment occurred. If no treatment was received at the MTF located at the place of final assignment, please enter the MTF name and location of the facility of final assignment and the year departed in Item 9, Remarks.
   
   Note: Check health records in item 8 of the form, in order to obtain the outpatient record contained within an active duty health record (service treatment record).  Check outpatient in item 8, to obtain the outpatient medical treatment records of military retirees, dependents, or other non-military personnel.

6. Send the completed form to the NPRC address below.  Retain a copy for your files.

   NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER
   1 Archives Drive
   St. Louis, MO 63138

7. Please ensure that the return address in Item 19, is complete and legible.