POLITICS
Trump administration requires ERs to release medical records. Is NC affected?
Iris SeatonMike StunsonAsheville Citizen Times
July 29, 2026, 2:15 p.m. ET
- The Trump administration is reportedly requiring emergency rooms to provide patient medical records.
- This initiative is led by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to automate injury surveillance.
- The new system would collect personally identifiable records for thousands of medical conditions.
Emergency rooms across the U.S. are reportedly being required by the Trump administration to hand over medical records for millions of patients
The initiative, which is led by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, seeks access to patient records for thousands of conditions from broken bones to vaccine reactions, adult suicide attempts and beyond, according to an investigation by KFF Health News. Records for millions of patients would be personally identifiable, USA TODAY reported, leading to criticisms around federal health surveillance
The CPSC is a small agency often tasked with regulating safety for consumer goods such as appliances and toys. Historically, the agency has also monitored injuries through a voluntary program known as the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Under NEISS, hospital staff review records and submit data tied specifically to product safety
Here’s what else we know in North Carolina as the initiative moves forward
Why are hospitals turning over ER records to Trump?
The CPSC is shifting away from human-managed reporting in favor of a new automated system designed to collect large volumes of electronic health records according to previous reports from USA TODAY. Under a contract with Konza Health, the system will automatically extract emergency room records covering more than 10,000 diagnostic conditions
CPSC and Konza officials have reportedly told health executives that participation in the new initiative is “mandatory” and have hinted at regulatory penalties for noncompliance. CPSC officials have instructed hospitals to supply detailed, identifiable health records as a part of a goal to bring 100 facilities into the network by the end of the year
Which hospitals will have to turn over ER records to Trump?
Changes apply to the roughly 100 hospitals that are part of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System known as NEISS. Emergency departments which participate in NEISS are selected by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to provide a representative sample of injury data across the country
Will hospitals in NC, Asheville have to turn over ER records to Trump?
As there is no comprehensive list of NEISS-participating hospitals, it is unclear exactly which hospitals will be asked to transition to the new electronic system. Hospitals that are not part of the network will not be affected by this specific change
Mike Stunson, USA TODAY, contributed to this report
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com
