Notifying the IHS when someone dies
Family member is responsible for notifying the IHS
OverviewWhen someone dies
Indian Health Service Headquarters
Mailing Address
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857
WebsiteVisit website→
IHS Area Offices (12 regional offices)
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursFor medical records of a deceased patient, contact the specific IHS facility, tribal health program, or urban Indian health program where the patient received care. The 12 Area Offices are: Alaska, Albuquerque, Bemidji, Billings, California, Great Plains, Nashville, Navajo, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, and Tucson.
HIPAA Privacy / Health Information Management
Timeline
Processing time varies by facility. HIPAA requires covered entities to act on records requests within 30 days, with one 30-day extension allowed if written notice is given to the requester (45 CFR 164.524(b)(2)). Tribal and urban programs operate under their own internal timelines but generally follow HIPAA standards.
WebsiteLearn more →
HoursContact the Health Information Management (medical records) department at the specific IHS, tribal, or urban Indian health program facility holding the records.
Verified Jul 2026
When someone dies, the Indian Health Service (IHS) must be notified. The family member is responsible for notifying the IHS.
Notification deadline: No deadline. Medical record requests can be made at any time after death; HIPAA protections for the deceased extend for 50 years from the date of death (45 CFR 164.502(f))..
Steps to take
Steps for notifying the IHS and applying for survivor benefits:
1
Confirm whether the decedent received care at an IHS facility, a tribally operated health program (under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act), or an urban Indian health program. Records are held by the operating entity, not by IHS headquarters in Rockville. If unsure, start with the Area Office for the region where the decedent lived.
2
Identify the facility or facilities holding the records:
- •For care received at a federally operated IHS facility, contact that facility's Health Information Management (medical records) department directly
- •For care received at a tribally operated 638 program, contact that tribal health program directly — IHS does not hold those records
- •For care received at an urban Indian health program, contact that program's medical records office directly
- •A patient who moved between regions may have records at multiple facilities; each must be requested separately
3
Complete and submit Form IHS-810 (Authorization for Use or Disclosure of Protected Health Information):
- •Download Form IHS-810 from ihs.gov/forpatients/patientforms/ (OMB 0917-0030)
- •Complete the patient identification section with the decedent's full legal name, date of birth, and (if known) the IHS chart or health record number
- •Specify which records are being requested (full chart, date range, specific encounters, imaging, lab results, etc.) and the purpose of the request
- •Sign as the personal representative and attach proof of authority
- •Submit to the Health Information Management department at the facility holding the records
4
Include with the request: certified copy of the death certificate, certified copy of the court order appointing you as personal representative (letters testamentary or letters of administration), and your government-issued photo ID. Some facilities also accept a small estate affidavit or surviving-spouse affidavit where state law permits.
5
For tribal trust assets, Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts, and tribal probate, contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) — these are administered separately by the Department of the Interior, not by IHS.
6
For AI/AN veterans, file VA survivor benefit claims separately with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. IHS medical records may be needed to document service-connected conditions for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims.
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Court order appointing the personal representative (letters testamentary or letters of administration) — or, where state law allows, a small estate affidavit
- Your government-issued photo ID
- Completed Form IHS-810 (Authorization for Use or Disclosure of Protected Health Information)
- Decedent's full legal name, date of birth, and (if known) IHS chart number or facility where care was received
Timeline
Processing time varies by facility. HIPAA requires covered entities to act on records requests within 30 days, with one 30-day extension allowed if written notice is given to the requester (45 CFR 164.524(b)(2)). Tribal and urban programs operate under their own internal timelines but generally follow HIPAA standards.
Survivor benefits
Access to Deceased Patient Medical Records
The personal representative of a deceased IHS patient may request copies of the patient's medical records held by an IHS facility, tribal health program, or urban Indian health program. Records are commonly needed for probate inventories, life insurance claims, VA survivor benefit applications (for AI/AN veterans), wrongful-death litigation, and family medical history. Records are requested from the specific facility where care was received, not from IHS headquarters. There is no IHS-wide records system — each Area, facility, and tribal/urban program holds its own records.
Eligibility: The personal representative (executor or administrator) named in a probate court order. A surviving spouse or next of kin may also qualify in some circumstances under state law and HIPAA's personal representative rules (45 CFR 164.502(g)(4)). Family medical history may be released to a relative even without personal representative status if the records pertain to that relative's own health.
How to apply: Complete Form IHS-810 (Authorization for Use or Disclosure of Protected Health Information) and submit it to the IHS facility, tribal health program, or urban Indian health program where the deceased received care. Include certified copy of the death certificate and court documentation showing your appointment as personal representative.
Learn more →Frequently asked questions
No. IHS does not maintain a central death registry and does not pay cash survivor benefits, so there is no separate death notification process to start. The funeral home reports the death to the Social Security Administration, which propagates the information through federal systems. Where families typically engage with IHS after death is to obtain copies of the decedent's medical records.
Under HIPAA, the personal representative of a deceased individual has the same authority to access protected health information as the patient would have had in life (45 CFR 164.502(g)(4)). For most estates, this is the executor or administrator named in the probate court order. A surviving spouse, next of kin, or another family member may also qualify in limited circumstances under state law.
HIPAA's privacy protections for medical records extend for 50 years from the date of death (45 CFR 164.502(f)). After 50 years, the records are no longer considered protected health information under HIPAA, though state law and the holding facility's own policies may still control access.
Form IHS-810 (Authorization for Use or Disclosure of Protected Health Information) is the standard IHS authorization form for releasing medical records. It is HIPAA-compliant and is required for any release of protected health information, including releases requested by a personal representative after the patient's death. The form is available at ihs.gov/forpatients/patientforms/ and carries OMB Number 0917-0030.
No. Tribal trust assets, Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts, and tribal probate are administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) within the U.S. Department of the Interior — a separate agency from IHS. IHS handles healthcare and medical records; BIA handles trust property and probate of trust assets.
Yes, for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. IHS medical records can document service-connected conditions, treatment history, and cause-of-death factors that are relevant to VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims, accrued benefits claims, and other VA survivor benefits. Request the records from the IHS facility, then submit them to the VA as part of the survivor benefit application.
After completing the notification process, eligible survivors can apply for 1 benefit through the IHS. Each benefit has its own eligibility requirements and application process.
Keep copies of all documents submitted to the IHS. Original documents submitted for verification are typically returned after processing.
Indian Health Service Headquarters
Mailing Address
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857
WebsiteVisit website→
IHS Area Offices (12 regional offices)
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursFor medical records of a deceased patient, contact the specific IHS facility, tribal health program, or urban Indian health program where the patient received care. The 12 Area Offices are: Alaska, Albuquerque, Bemidji, Billings, California, Great Plains, Nashville, Navajo, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, and Tucson.
HIPAA Privacy / Health Information Management
Timeline
Processing time varies by facility. HIPAA requires covered entities to act on records requests within 30 days, with one 30-day extension allowed if written notice is given to the requester (45 CFR 164.524(b)(2)). Tribal and urban programs operate under their own internal timelines but generally follow HIPAA standards.
WebsiteLearn more →
HoursContact the Health Information Management (medical records) department at the specific IHS, tribal, or urban Indian health program facility holding the records.
Verified Jul 2026