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Upgrading Your My HealtheVet Account Through In-Person or Online Authentication


Attention VA Patients! Is a My HealtheVet Premium account for you? If you are a Veteran and use the VA Health Care System, then the answer is YES. As a VA patient, a Premium account allows you to:

  • View parts of your official VA health record (as it becomes available)
  • View Your Department of Defense (DoD) Military Service Information
  • Participate in Secure Messaging with your health care team

To upgrade your account, you will need to go through authentication. This is a process by which the VA verifies a Veterans' identity before allowing access to their VA health record. This is done to protect your personal information. Before you can start to upgrade your account, you first need to be registered in My HealtheVet as a VA Patient. If you do not have an account, please take this time to register.

After you have registered on My HealtheVet as a VA Patient, there are two ways to upgrade your My HealtheVet account:

  1. In-Person Authentication (IPA)
    Upgrade your account in person. This can be done at your local VA Medical Center or Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).
  2. Online Authentication
    Upgrade your account through www.ebenefits.va.gov. This is for users who have a connected eBenefits DS Logon Premium account & My HealtheVet VA Patient account.

In-Person Authentication can be done the next time you visit your local VA health care facility. Simply follow these three steps:

  1. Print, read and sign the VA Release of Information (ROI) form (10-5345a-MHV) (PDF)
  2. Take a copy of your signed form and government issued photo identification (Veterans Identification Card or valid driver's license) to your local VA health facility and give it to a qualified VA staff member
  3. After the VA staff verifies your information, your My HealtheVet account can be upgraded.

Online Authentication is for users who have a connected eBenefits DS Logon Premium account & My HealtheVet VA Patient account. It can be done anytime, anywhere, 24/7, and you won't need to visit a VA facility. However, before you can start to upgrade your My HealtheVet account online, you need to:

  • Be registered in My HealtheVet as a VA Patient
  • Have an eBenefits/DS Logon Premium Account
  • Have your My HealtheVet VA Patient account information match what is in DEERS (e.g., full name, Social Security Number, date of birth and/or gender)
  • Connect your eBenefits/DS Logon and My HealtheVet Accounts.

After you have successfully Connected Accounts, if you are a VA Patient in My HealtheVet and do not have an upgraded account, you will be asked if you would like to start to upgrade your account. Before you select YES, please follow these steps to start Online Authentication:

  1. Download, print, and sign the VA Release of Information (ROI) form (10-5345a-MHV) (PDF)
  2. Mail your signed form to the Release of Information Office at your local VA health care facility. You can use the Facility Locator to find the address
  3. Select YES - UPGRADE MY ACCOUNT

Note: Please, allow up to 20 business days to complete the Online Authentication process.

Learn More...

Check out the Quick Guides:

Visit Frequently Asked Questions - This page has questions and answers that may help.

DEERS - stands for Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. It is a Department of Defense (DoD) worldwide, computerized record of uniformed Servicemembers (sponsors), their family members, and others who are eligible for military benefits. Enrollment in DEERS is automatic for all Servicemembers and Veterans who have served since 1982. Those who served prior to 1982 are being added from VA/DoD records. To request a change to your personal information in DEERS or learn more you can visit the DEERS homepage.


Updated/Reviewed: September 10, 2012

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