# What TEFCA Means for Patients

TEFCA (the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement) is a national framework for exchanging health records across participating networks. Individual Access Services lets you request your own records after identity verification. Flexpa provides request-only access: results depend on participating facilities finding records that match you.

How it works: Verified identity -> Participating facilities -> Matching records. Flexpa searches participating facilities after identity verification; some facilities also require sign-in.

## What it means in practice

- Verify your identity to search participating facilities; some facilities also require a portal login.
- Records from facilities you may have forgotten, if they participate.
- Some facilities still ask you to sign in to their own portal.

## What request-only means

Through Flexpa you can request your health information via TEFCA exchange. Flexpa does not provide bidirectional services, so you can't use Flexpa to share your information with other TEFCA participants.

## What you need

- A government-issued photo ID.
- A camera for a selfie check with CLEAR, ID.me, or Persona.
- An email address and phone number.

## Questions

**What is TEFCA?** TEFCA stands for Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement. It is a national framework for exchanging health records across participating networks, developed under the 21st Century Cures Act.

**What is Individual Access Services?** The TEFCA exchange purpose that lets individuals request their own records from participating facilities after verifying their identity. Access depends on network participation, eligibility requirements, and applicable exceptions.

**How do I use TEFCA to get my records?** Use an Individual Access Services provider such as Flexpa. Verify your identity with CLEAR, ID.me, or Persona, and Flexpa searches participating facilities for your records.

## More

- [TEFCA (healthit.gov)](https://healthit.gov/policy/tefca/)
- [Find forgotten medical records](https://www.flexpa.com/find-forgotten-medical-records)
- [Flexpa is a TEFCA IAS provider (blog)](https://www.flexpa.com/blog/flexpa-is-a-tefca-ias-provider)
- [How to connect records (docs)](https://www.flexpa.com/docs/guides/patient/steps-to-connect)

Last updated 2026-11-11.