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US veterans can now use an iPhone to access their health records
If you're receiving care through Veteran Affairs, you're eligible.
Apple is widening American veterans' access to health records from their iPhones. In the wake of a test this summer, any veteran receiving care through the Veterans Health Administration can use Apple's Health app on iOS to pull up their medical data. You can check lab results, medications and other data in one place without having to get printed copies or otherwise walk through an elaborate process. This includes care across multiple providers, whether it's Johns Hopkins or UC San Diego.
As usual, all data is both encrypted as well as inaccessible without your device's passcode or biometric access like Face ID or Touch ID.
The Veterans Affairs team-up comes over a year and a half after Apple first introduced its Health Records feature. However, it's only really been available through those medical networks and hospitals partnering with Apple. This expands access to the 9 million-plus veterans enrolled in VA's health care program. Only some will have iPhones, but this still makes medical info considerably more accessible than it has been in the past.
