Private Medical Records and VA Forms 21-4142 and 21-4142a

Records from private doctors, hospitals, specialists and therapists are often the evidence that shows a condition is current or getting worse. VA can request them for you, but only with your permission, and only if you tell it where to look. You can also get them yourself and send them in. This guide covers both routes and the two forms involved.

The rules below come from 38 CFR 3.159 as published on eCFR (current through October 26, 2026) and from 38 U.S.C. 5103A, read on October 28, 2026. What the forms say comes from VA.gov's form pages and the August 2024 form, read the same day.

The two forms

VA.gov lists August 2024 as the current revision of both and offers an online tool in place of the paper forms. On the 21-4142a, each provider gets its own section: the provider or facility name, the conditions you were treated for, the dates of treatment (from and to), and the street address.

When you do not need them

The 21-4142 itself is direct about this. It says, in capital letters, that you should not complete it unless you want VA to obtain private treatment records on your behalf; that if you have "already provided these records or intend to obtain them yourself, there is no need to fill out this form"; that doing so "will lengthen your claim processing time"; and that the form "is not needed to request VA medical records."

VA medical center records are federal records, which VA requests on its own; the service records guide explains that rule.

What VA must do with them

Under 38 CFR 3.159(c)(1), VA makes reasonable efforts to obtain relevant records not held by a federal agency, including records from private medical care providers, current or former employers, and state or local governments. Those efforts "will generally consist of an initial request for the records and, if the records are not received, at least one follow-up request." A follow-up is not required if the first response shows the records do not exist or a follow-up would be futile. The statute, 38 U.S.C. 5103A(b)(2)(B), sets the same floor: not less than two requests, unless the first request makes it evident that a second would be futile.

If VA still cannot get the records, 3.159(e) requires it to tell you which records it could not get, what it tried, and what it will do next, including that it will decide the claim on the evidence of record unless you submit the records, and that you are ultimately responsible for providing the evidence. For non-federal records, VA may send that notice at the same time as its final attempt.

Your part

Under 3.159(c)(1)(i), you must cooperate fully and give enough information to identify and locate the records: the person, company or other custodian holding them, the approximate time frame they cover, and the condition you were treated for. Under 3.159(c)(1)(ii), you must authorize release, if necessary, in a form the custodian accepts. That is what the 21-4142 does.

In practice, use the provider's full name and complete address as it appears on their letterhead or bills, give the widest accurate date range (approximate dates are better than none, and a range that is too narrow can leave records out), name the conditions you were treated for, and sign and date the form, since the authorization runs from the date you sign.

How long the authorization lasts

The August 2024 form says: "This authorization is good for 12 months from the date shown in Item 14," which is the date signed, and that if you do not revoke it, "it will automatically expire in 12 months from the date you sign and date the form." If VA's request goes out after that, a new form may be needed.

You can revoke it in writing at any time, except to the extent a provider has already relied on it. The form says to send the written statement to the VA regional office handling your claim, or to the Board of Veterans' Appeals if the claim is on appeal, and a copy to each provider. VA may still use information disclosed before the revocation.

The form also explains that once a provider sends your information to VA, it is no longer protected by the HIPAA Privacy Rule but is protected by the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a.

Getting the records yourself

The statute tells VA to encourage claimants to submit relevant private medical records themselves when that does not burden them (38 U.S.C. 5103A(b)(4)(A)). Asking the provider's records office for copies and sending them in is often faster than waiting for VA's requests and follow-ups, and it lets you check that the records are complete. You can upload them through VA.gov, which the 21-4142's mailing instructions describe as the fastest method of receipt, or send them with a short statement, such as VA Form 21-4138, Statement in Support of Claim, saying what they are and which condition they support.

Copy fees are between you and the provider. VA will not pay them: 38 CFR 3.159(c) says "VA will not pay any fees charged by a custodian to provide records requested," and the 21-4142 repeats that sentence. You can ask the provider whether it waives fees for records sent to VA.

Records from the Social Security Administration are federal records with their own process, covered in the guide to obtaining SSA records. To check what VA has received, see your VA claims file (C-file).

Note: This article references sections of the VA's M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual. The VA periodically reorganizes the M21-1 and section numbers may have changed since this article was written. For the most current section references, visit the VA's public M21-1 Web Automated Reference Material System (WARMS).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between VA Form 21-4142 and 21-4142a?

VA.gov says the 21-4142 gives VA permission to obtain your personal information, such as treatment records, from a non-VA source like a private doctor or hospital. The 21-4142a gives VA the provider information it needs, such as the facility name and address and your treatment dates.

How long is a 21-4142 authorization good for?

The August 2024 form says the authorization is good for 12 months from the date you sign it, unless you revoke it in writing sooner.

Do I need a 21-4142 if I already sent my private records?

No. The form says that if you have already provided the records or intend to obtain them yourself, there is no need to fill it out, and that doing so will lengthen your claim processing time. It is also not needed for VA medical records.

How many times will VA ask my doctor for records?

Under 38 CFR 3.159(c)(1), reasonable efforts generally mean an initial request and, if the records are not received, at least one follow-up request, unless the first response shows the records do not exist or a follow-up would be futile. If VA still cannot get them, it must send you the notice in 3.159(e).

Will VA pay my doctor's copy fees?

No. 38 CFR 3.159(c) says VA will not pay any fees charged by a custodian to provide records requested.