Your Record

Moving or switching insurers? Gather these records before you lose access.

When you move to a new city or change health insurance, your patient portal access can disappear — and with it, years of visit notes, lab results, and prescription history. Gathering your records before the switch means your new doctor starts with a complete picture instead of a blank chart.

In short

Download everything from your patient portals before you lose access — portal access often ends when you leave a provider's practice or switch insurance networks.
Request a continuity-of-care summary from your current primary care doctor, and print your pharmacy's full medication history.
With Family Stork, your record travels with you. One private email address, every provider, every city. When you move, your timeline is already complete.

What happens to my records when I move or switch insurance?

Your records stay where they are — with each provider. Moving doesn't delete them, but it does make them harder to access:

Patient portal access may end. Many portals deactivate your account after 12–24 months of inactivity, or when you leave the provider's practice. Once deactivated, you lose online access to visit notes, lab results, and messaging.
Switching insurance changes your network. Your current doctors may be out-of-network on your new plan. If you stop seeing them, you lose the ongoing relationship that keeps records flowing.
New doctors start from scratch. Your new primary care doctor in a new city won't have access to your old doctor's system. Unless you bring records, they're working blind.

The solution: gather everything before you switch, so your new provider has the complete picture from day one.

The moving and switching records checklist

Start 4–6 weeks before your move or insurance switch date. Check off each item as you complete it:

From your patient portals

☐ Download all visit summaries from the last 3–5 years
☐ Download all lab and test results
☐ Download immunization records
☐ Download any uploaded documents (scanned forms, referral letters)
☐ Save any messages with your doctor that contain care instructions
☐ Repeat for every portal you have access to (each hospital/system has its own)

From your primary care doctor

☐ Request a continuity-of-care summary (one document with your full history)
☐ Request copies of any specialist referral letters
☐ Ask for a records transfer to your new doctor (if you've already chosen one)

From your pharmacy

☐ Print your complete medication fill history (usually available at the counter)
☐ Transfer any active prescriptions to a pharmacy near your new address

From your specialists

☐ Request records from any specialist you see regularly (cardiologist, dermatologist, etc.)
☐ Request imaging studies on disc or electronic file (not just written reports)

Insurance and administrative

☐ Save explanation-of-benefits (EOB) statements from your current insurer (useful for tracking which providers you've seen)
☐ Note your current plan's prescription formulary (your new plan's formulary may differ — some medications may need prior authorization or substitution)
☐ If you have an HSA/FSA, check balance and rollover rules before the switch

What if I've already moved and didn't gather records?

You can still request records from your previous providers — HIPAA applies regardless of where you live now. The process is the same: submit a written request by mail, fax, or phone. It just takes longer from a distance.

Call each provider's records department and ask how to submit a remote request.
Check whether your old patient portals are still active — some remain accessible for months after your last visit.
Your pharmacy can usually print medication history over the phone or transfer records to your new pharmacy.

The sooner you request, the better. Records are retained for years, but portal access expires and office staff turns over.

How does Family Stork make moves and switches painless?

The reason moving is so painful for health records is that every provider keeps their own copy and none of them travel with you. Patient portals belong to the hospital, not to you. When you leave, you lose access.

With Family Stork, every person gets one private email address — shown on your record, unique to you. Give it to every doctor, lab, specialist, and pharmacy. When they send records, your timeline builds itself. When you move to a new city, switch insurance, or start with a new doctor, your complete history is already in one place. Share it with a tap.

Your record doesn't belong to any portal or any provider. It belongs to you — and it goes where you go.

See how it works →

FAQ

How long do patient portals stay active after I leave a provider?

It varies by system. Some portals remain accessible indefinitely; others deactivate after 12–24 months without a visit. Don't assume you'll have access later — download everything before you move.

Can my new doctor request records from my old one?

Yes — with a signed authorization from you. Many new-patient intake forms include a records request section. However, this adds time (often 2–4 weeks), and you have no control over what gets sent. Having your own copy means your new doctor can start immediately.

What about open enrollment — do I need to do this when switching plans?

If switching plans means switching to doctors who are in-network on the new plan, yes — treat it the same as a move. Download portal records, request summaries, and transfer prescriptions. If your doctors stay the same, you may not need to do anything. Check your new plan's provider directory to be sure.

What if I'm moving to a different state?

HIPAA is federal — your right to your records applies in every state. The process is the same: submit a written request. If you're also transferring medical licenses for children (school immunization records, etc.), check the requirements for your new state. See our guide on transferring records across states →

More guides for your own record

One health story. One email address every clinic already knows how to use.

Your record shouldn't disappear when you move or change plans. Build a timeline that goes where you go — one address, every provider, every city.

$99/year — or about $10 a month.

See how it works