Your Medical Records Are Being Automatically Shared

A Health Information Exchange (HIE) is a network that lets doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and other healthcare providers electronically share your complete medical records with each other, often without asking you first. HIEs share your diagnoses, prescriptions, lab results, treatment plans, mental health records, and billing information across facilities and state lines. HealthConsent submits opt-out requests to every HIE network you appear in, so you stop the sharing in one signup instead of one network at a time.

There are 40+ separate Health Information Exchange networks across the United States. Most patients have their records in 3 to 5 different HIE networks without knowing it, depending on which states they’ve received care in and which provider systems they’ve used. Some states like California have 3 to 4 regional HIEs operating simultaneously. HealthConsent files opt-outs at every HIE in every state you’ve received care in.

Yes, in most states. But the process is fragmented: you have to research which HIE networks operate in every state you’ve lived in, download separate opt-out forms for each (some require notarization), submit them by mail or fax, wait 10 to 15 business days for processing, and repeat with every new healthcare provider you visit. HealthConsent does all of that for you in one signup, across every state.

To opt out of Surescripts prescription-history sharing you must: (1) Contact every pharmacy you use and request opt-out, (2) Contact every prescribing doctor and request opt-out, (3) Submit a written opt-out request directly to Surescripts headquarters in Minneapolis, MN, and (4) Follow up in 30 days to confirm. You repeat the entire process with each new pharmacy or prescriber. HealthConsent submits the Surescripts opt-out for you alongside every state HIE opt-out, all in one signup.

46 U.S. states and territories have active Health Information Exchange networks with opt-out options. Major networks include California (Manifest MedEx, SacValley MedShare), New York (SHIN-NY RHIOs), Texas (Greater Houston Healthconnect), Pennsylvania (HealthShare Exchange), Colorado and Arizona (Contexture), Connecticut (Connie), Maryland and DC (CRISP), Ohio (CliniSync), and many others. Illinois and Wyoming have limited state HIE presence. The opt-out process varies by network. HealthConsent handles whichever networks apply to you based on the states you’ve received care in.

Surescripts is the largest prescription routing network in the United States, connecting every major pharmacy chain, prescriber, pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), and insurer. It automatically shares your complete medication history, including sensitive prescriptions, across the entire network. You might want to opt out if (1) you have privacy concerns about your prescription history, (2) you’re taking medications for stigmatized conditions, (3) you want to control which providers see your medication list, or (4) you’re concerned about insurance or employment discrimination based on prescriptions. HealthConsent submits the Surescripts opt-out request for you.

Yes. HIEs and Surescripts are separate networks that share different types of data. Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) share your complete medical records (diagnoses, lab results, treatment plans, hospital visits) between providers in specific geographic regions or states. Surescripts shares only your prescription history, but does so across the entire United States. To fully protect your health data privacy you need to opt out of both: every state HIE network in states where you’ve received care AND Surescripts for prescription privacy. HealthConsent submits both opt-outs in one signup.

Yes, your doctors will still have full access to your medical records from their own health system. Opting out of HIEs only stops the automatic sharing of your records BETWEEN different healthcare organizations. Your doctor can still: (1) Access all records created within their own health system, (2) Request records from other providers with your written authorization, and (3) Receive records you bring from other facilities. The difference is that with an HIE opt-out, YOUR explicit permission is required before records are shared, giving you control over who sees what information.

HIE opt-out processing times vary by network. Fast (5 to 10 business days): Alaska healtheConnect, Connecticut Connie, Maryland CRISP, Nebraska CyncHealth. Medium (10 to 15 business days): most state HIEs including Arizona and Colorado Contexture, Ohio CliniSync. Slow (15 to 30 business days): Delaware DHIN (requires notarization), New York SHIN-NY (multiple RHIO forms). After submitting opt-out forms you should follow up to confirm processing. HealthConsent submits and tracks the request across every network for you, so you don’t have to keep tabs on 40+ separate processing windows.

Yes, all Health Information Exchanges allow you to opt back in (also called rescinding your opt-out or reversing participation restrictions). To opt back in, you typically submit a new form or reversal request to the HIE network. Processing takes 5-15 business days depending on the network. Once you opt back in, providers in that HIE network can again access and share your medical records electronically. You can change your opt-out status as often as you like, though each change requires submitting new paperwork and waiting for processing.

There are two networks that automatically share your records nationally: Health Information Exchanges (HIEs) and Surescripts. To stop the sharing manually, you would need to (1) identify every HIE network operating in every state you have lived in or received care in, (2) submit a separate opt-out form to each network (some requiring notarization), (3) submit a written opt-out request to Surescripts headquarters in Minneapolis, MN, plus a request at every pharmacy and prescribing doctor, and (4) repeat all of these steps every time you visit a new provider. HealthConsent submits and tracks the opt-out requests across every applicable HIE and Surescripts in one signup.

It depends on the state. Most state Health Information Exchange networks are opt-out by default, meaning your records are shared automatically unless you submit an opt-out form. A small number of states use an opt-in model where the HIE only shares your records after you have explicitly consented at a provider: New York (SHIN-NY through its 8 regional RHIOs), Nevada (HealtHIE Nevada), and Virginia (ConnectVirginia HIE) operate opt-in. In opt-in states you decline consent at the provider or revoke consent later. In opt-out states you actively submit an opt-out form per network. HealthConsent handles both decline-consent and opt-out requests depending on which state networks apply to you.

HIE consent is the patient authorization that controls whether a Health Information Exchange can share your medical records between participating providers. In opt-out states, you are considered to have consented unless you formally opt out. In opt-in states, your records are not shared until you sign a consent form at a participating provider. Some states (including Texas and Indiana) operate hybrid consent models where sensitive categories like mental health, substance use, and HIV records require separate consent even if you have already consented to general HIE participation. HealthConsent submits the appropriate opt-out, consent withdrawal, or sensitive-data restriction request based on which state networks apply to you.

Yes. Surescripts is the network that lets every major pharmacy chain, independent pharmacy, and prescriber see your complete prescription history across the U.S., including refills, doses, prescribing physician, and pharmacy locations. The data flows between Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Costco, Rite Aid, every regional pharmacy chain, every pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), and most insurers. If you have not opted out of Surescripts, any pharmacy you visit can see what every other pharmacy filled for you, regardless of whether you used insurance. HealthConsent submits the Surescripts opt-out for you alongside every state HIE opt-out.

They are different networks. Surescripts is a national prescription routing network connecting every major pharmacy and prescriber across the United States, sharing medication history only. SHIN-NY (Statewide Health Information Network for New York) is New York state's Health Information Exchange, organized through 8 regional RHIOs, sharing complete medical records (diagnoses, labs, imaging, hospital visits) between New York providers. SHIN-NY uses an opt-in consent model, while Surescripts is opt-out by default. If you live in New York you would need to handle both: decline consent at New York providers (SHIN-NY) AND submit a Surescripts opt-out (prescriptions). HealthConsent submits both in one signup.

Surescripts does not publish a downloadable opt-out form on its website. The manual opt-out process requires (1) a written letter mailed to Surescripts headquarters in Minneapolis, MN containing your full name, date of birth, and previous addresses, plus a clear statement that you want to opt out of all data sharing, (2) a separate opt-out request at every pharmacy you have ever used, and (3) a separate opt-out request at every prescribing physician you have ever seen. HealthConsent submits the Surescripts opt-out request for you alongside every state HIE opt-out, so you do not have to draft the letter yourself or chase down individual pharmacies.