WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 3, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a major enforcement initiative to stop health care entities from blocking patients’ access to their own electronic health information.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. directed the department to expand resources and enforcement to ensure patients, caregivers, and providers can freely access, exchange, and use medical records as guaranteed by law.
The crackdown is backed by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, which authorizes the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/National Coordinator for Health IT (ASTP/ONC) to investigate and penalize offenders.
“Unblocking the flow of health information is critical to unleashing health IT innovation and transforming our healthcare ecosystem,” said Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill. “We will take appropriate action against any health care actors who are found to be blocking health data.”
HHS officials emphasized that easy access to medical records helps patients manage chronic conditions, track treatments, detect errors, and use digital health apps to improve outcomes.
Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins warned that violators will face serious consequences:
- Health care providers could lose eligibility for certain Medicare & Medicaid programs.
- Health IT developers and exchanges could face civil fines of up to $1 million per violation.
- Developers could also see their products decertified and banned from federal health IT programs.
Tom Keane, MD, Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, confirmed that reviews of information-blocking complaints are already underway.
The initiative builds on rules finalized during President Trump’s first term requiring no-cost patient access to records and more choice in health IT systems.
HHS urged patients, providers, and innovators who encounter information blocking to file reports through the ASTP/ONC Report Information Blocking Portal.
For more details, visit healthit.gov/informationblocking or follow @HHS_TechPolicy on X (formerly Twitter).
