Medical Records and Your Sharing Request: What EverTrust Actually Needs

Getting the right documentation to EverTrust quickly is the biggest factor within your control when it comes to how fast your Sharing Request moves through review. The faster the right documents are provided, the faster your Sharing Request can continue through review. The goal is simple: help EverTrust get the information needed to review your request without unnecessary delays. This guide walks you through exactly what to gather, where to find it, and how to request it if you don’t already have it.

This is the single most common item that holds up a Sharing Request determination. EverTrust works fast and wants your sharing to be quick and efficient, but we can only move as quickly as members and providers allow. Follow the steps below to keep your own request moving.

Step 1: Know what to look for

Focus on these two things first:

1. Visit notes. Get the provider’s written note from every appointment connected to the care you’re submitting, whether that was your primary care office, a specialist, urgent care, or the emergency room. Whatever the office calls it, chart note, progress note, clinic note, ask for the visit note. If more than one provider was involved, get a note from each one.
2. Medical records. If your care involved several visits or providers over time, you can also ask for your complete medical records for that date range instead of tracking down each note individually. This is often the simplest option for an ongoing condition.

Step 2: Check for extra notes, and know what you can skip

Don’t assume the visit tied directly to your bill is the only note you’ll need. If you’re submitting an emergency room visit, be ready to also provide recent notes from your primary care provider or specialist if they relate to the same medical need. Gathering these upfront, rather than waiting to be asked, will save you a step later.

At the same time, you don’t need to send everything you were handed. These documents won’t speed up your review:

• After Visit Summary (AVS). The plain-language handout you get after an appointment. If this is all you have, send what you have, but keep looking for the visit note if EverTrust requests it. An AVS, discharge instructions, or standalone test and lab results can be helpful, but they’re often written for the patient and may not include the full provider notes needed to keep the determination process moving, so they may not be enough by themselves.
• Discharge instructions. The hospital version of an AVS. Keep it for yourself; it doesn’t replace the discharge summary.
• Nurse’s notes. These generally repeat what’s already in the physician’s note and aren’t necessary unless specifically requested.

If you’re not sure what document you have, EverTrust can help you tell the difference.

Step 3: Get the records

1. Check your patient portal first. This is almost always the fastest option. Most hospitals, primary care offices, specialists, urgent care centers, and surgery centers use portals, and yours may already contain visit notes, discharge documents, test results, billing statements, receipts, payment history, and provider messages. If the records are already available in your portal, you may be able to download them and send them to EverTrust right away. If you haven’t set up your portal access yet, do this as soon as possible, even before you need it.
2. Check every portal that applies to you. If more than one provider was involved, your records are probably spread across more than one system. An ER visit might live in the hospital’s portal while your primary care provider or specialist uses something different. Check each one.
3. If it’s not in a portal, request it directly. Contact the provider’s office by phone, email, or fax, and be specific about what you need. Use language like:

• “I need the visit notes from my appointment on [date].”
• “I need the emergency room provider notes from my visit on [date].”
• “I need my medical records for care related to [condition] from [date range].”

Ask to be routed to medical records or health information management if the front desk can’t help directly.

4. Know your rights. Patients generally have the right to access their medical records. According to guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, individuals have the right to inspect, review, and receive copies of medical and billing records held by covered healthcare providers and health plans. Providers are required to respond within 30 days, with one possible 30-day extension, and can only charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for labor, copying, and postage. There’s typically no fee if you retrieve the record yourself through your portal’s download feature.
5. Keep any receipt if you’re charged a fee. Charges for obtaining records can be included as part of your Sharing Request, so don’t treat a records fee as a separate, unrecoverable cost.
6. Start early. Some providers deliver records digitally within minutes. Others only offer physical copies and can take much longer. Since you won’t always know which one you’re dealing with, request records as soon as possible after your care happens rather than waiting until you’re ready to submit.

Step 4: Submit your Sharing Request, don’t wait for everything

Submit what you have, your itemized bill, Good Faith Estimate, and any documentation that’s ready, as soon as it’s available. If more records, bills, receipts, or notes come in later, they can be added to the existing Sharing Request. This helps EverTrust get the request started while you continue gathering anything else that may be needed. Upload or email your visit notes and discharge summary to the existing request once you’ve obtained them. For more on what happens after you submit, see our guide to Understanding the Determination Process.

If you’re ever unsure which document you have, or which ones you’ll need, EverTrust’s Advocacy Team can help you tell the difference and tell you exactly what to request from your provider.

Quick checklist

• Set up your patient portal.
• Download any available visit notes or provider notes.
• Download the medical records if you were admitted to the hospital.
• Check other portals if more than one provider was involved in your care.
• Save billing statements, receipts, and payment history.
• Request records directly from the provider if they aren’t in the portal.
• Submit your Sharing Request early, and add documents as they come in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does EverTrust ask for medical records? Medical records help EverTrust continue the determination process and keep your Sharing Request moving. The sooner the right documents are provided, the easier it is to avoid delays.

What are visit notes? Visit notes are the provider’s notes from your appointment, urgent care visit, specialist visit, or emergency room visit. They’re different from a simple patient handout or billing statement, and they’re what EverTrust actually needs to review your care.

Do I really just need visit notes and medical records? For the vast majority of Sharing Requests, yes. Get a visit note from every provider involved in the care you’re submitting, and medical records if you were hospitalized. If your condition involves multiple visits, request your complete medical records for that period instead of gathering each note separately.

Why would EverTrust ask for notes from a visit that isn’t the one I’m submitting? Reviewing a Sharing Request often requires understanding the full context of your health history, not just the single appointment tied to the expense. A recent primary care or specialist note can help confirm that context, especially for ER visits.

What if I saw more than one provider? Check each provider’s portal separately. A hospital, primary care office, specialist, urgent care center, and surgery center may each use a different system, so records from one visit may not show up in another provider’s portal.

Is the After Visit Summary ever useful for my Sharing Request? It can help confirm dates or medication names, but it isn’t a substitute for the actual visit note. If you can only send one document, send the visit note.

Can I get reimbursed for a records fee? Charges for obtaining your medical records can be included as part of your Sharing Request documentation, so keep any receipt you receive.

What if my provider is slow to send records? Start the request as early as possible, ideally as soon as care happens rather than waiting until you’re ready to submit your Sharing Request. Providers vary widely in how quickly they respond, and starting early is the best way to avoid delays.

Final Takeaway

Set up your patient portal, gather your visit notes and discharge summary, check every provider involved in your care, and request anything missing as early as possible. Submit your Sharing Request as soon as documentation is available, and add records as they come in rather than waiting for everything up front. These few steps are the most common thing that slows a Sharing Request down, and they’re also the thing members have the most control over.