HHS Expands Secure Access to Health Records Through the TEFCA® Network, Announces Milestone of One Billion Health Records Exchanged

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced new steps to strengthen the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA®) – the nationwide network enabling patients and healthcare providers to securely share electronic health information. The announcement also marks a significant milestone: in less than one year, the number of health records exchanged through TEFCA has grown from 10 million to more than 1 billion.

“Americans deserve secure, timely access to their health records,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “We are strengthening TEFCA to put patients in control of their health information, improve care coordination, and ensure health data moves securely where it is needed. Access to your own health records is a fundamental right.”

Rapid Network Growth and Strengthened Oversight

The scale of TEFCA’s expansion under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership reflects accelerating adoption across the healthcare system. To sustain and secure that growth, ONC has awarded a new contract focused on strengthening oversight of the network and verifying that participating organizations follow required policies and procedures.

ONC is also conducting additional reviews of Qualified Health Information Networks® (QHINs™) and their participants to confirm compliance with TEFCA’s rules and operating requirements. Where behaviors on the network are identified as potentially civilly or criminally actionable — including information blocking and fraud — ONC has committed to referring cases to appropriate federal agencies, including the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Justice.

“Exchange across the TEFCA network is just getting started,” said Thomas Keane, MD, MBA, National Coordinator for Health IT. “ONC is executing against its mission to ensure the network is secure and that the quality of data exchanged allows for better clinical outcomes.”

Information Blocking Remains a Priority

HHS officials used the announcement to underscore continued commitment to eliminating information blocking — practices that restrict patient access to their own health data.

“When critical health information is blocked or withheld, patients suffer the consequences,” said Chris Klomp, HHS Chief Counselor. “We are fully committed to using every appropriate regulatory and policy tool available to root out information blocking and protect patients’ right to access their own health data.”

The HHS Office for Civil Rights also emphasized its enforcement role under HIPAA in parallel with TEFCA’s expansion. “Americans’ health information must remain confidential and secure, yet readily accessible by them,” said Paula M. Stannard, Director of HHS OCR. “Individuals who believe that their right to access their health information has been denied or that its security has been violated can file a complaint with OCR.”

What This Means for Healthcare Organizations

TEFCA’s rapid expansion to one billion records exchanged signals that nationwide health information interoperability is no longer a future goal — it is an operational reality. For healthcare organizations, this means greater pressure to ensure full TEFCA participation, QHIN compliance, and airtight information-sharing practices.
Providers should review their current health information exchange arrangements and confirm alignment with TEFCA’s policies. With ONC actively auditing QHINs and referring potential violations to federal enforcement agencies, organizations that engage in or enable information blocking face meaningful regulatory risk. Revenue cycle and HIT teams should also assess how expanded data exchange through TEFCA affects EHR interoperability workflows and patient data access protocols.

Sources: HHS Press Release, HealthIT.gov, HHS Office for Civil Rights