United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Blue Button
 
Blue Button - Download My Data

Need to Know: Update for Blue Button Partners

The rollout of the upgraded Blue Button on September 29 and October 9 means enhancements for our Veterans who download their health care data from VA’s electronic health records. For our industry partners it means enhancements and improvements for their supporting software’s functionality.

Based on Veteran user feedback, the minor enhancements in this rollout will make the output more readable and user friendly. There is also a new set of data for ‘VA Immunizations,’ enhancements to the online user interface and improved data from the Military Service Information (MSI) section. We have provided these instructions on our Resources page along with updated sample files.

One Million Blue Button Users - Veterans Talk to Markle Foundation

In August the one millionth patient used the Blue Button to down data from a Personal Health Record. In addition to users of My HealtheVet and TRICARE Online from the government, private sector partners like UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and Kaiser Permanente are adopting it as well. In recognition of this "one millionth" milestone, the Markle Foundation, one of the catalysts for the early development of the Blue Button, has released a wonderful video highlighting the positive experiences of three Veterans who use the VA Blue Button. Learn more
President Obama Speaking about the Blue Button

What does the President think about the Blue Button?

See what President Obama had to say about the Blue Button while speaking to the Disabled American Veterans in August 2011.

DoD Military Service Information on
My HealtheVet and Blue Button

U.S. Department of Defense Seal

Key portions of the Department of Defense (DoD) Military Service Information are now available in My HealtheVet. This new feature is available to military retirees and/or Veterans discharged after 1979. To see this they simply need to:

  • be a Veteran enrolled at a VA health care facility
  • be registered on My HealtheVet
  • have an upgraded account (In-Person Authenticated)

Viewing DoD Military Service Information in My HealtheVet is simple. It is easy to use, private and secure. Anytime, anywhere the Veteran is, as long as they have Internet access, they can view their:

  • Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes
  • Pay Details
  • Service Dates
  • Deployment Periods
  • Retirement Periods

Having DoD Military Service Information available in My HealtheVet will give Veterans easy, convenient access to their military employment history. It will let them see their information on demand. They can use the VA Blue Button to print or download their DoD Military Service Information. They can share this information when looking for a new job or considering changing careers. They can also share this with their employer to show past job skills and experience.

The usage guidelines and licensing terms for Blue Button have changed; please see HealthIT.gov while these pages are being updated.

Note: The name "Blue Button," the Blue Button logo and the slogan "Download My Data" are registered service marks of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, an agency of the United States Government. All Rights Reserved. VA will grant a perpetual royalty-free non-exclusive license to use the Blue Button marks to software developers and end users on request.
My HealtheVet - Manage Your VA Health Care Online
 
Blue Button Partners

Industry is building applications to help Veterans use the Blue Button to better manage their health or find employment. See which companies have committed to supporting the Blue Button Initiative on our list of Blue Button partners.

If your organization has created an application for Blue Button and would like to be added to this list, email us at VABlueButton@va.gov.

DISCLAIMER: VA does not endorse these products or companies.
 

If you’re an industry partner interested in offering Blue Button, visit bluebuttondata.org to pledge today!