Outpatient records are the property of the

• A. United States Government
• B. Medical treatment facility
• C. Records custodian
• D. Patient

Answer: (A)

In a military health system, outpatient medical records are owned by the government rather than by the patient. The patient is the subject of the record and has rights to access copies and to privacy protections, but the actual records are created, stored, and funded by the government. The facility serves as the custodian, responsible for maintaining and safeguarding the records, while the government holds ownership. The other roles—like the facility or the custodian—are about stewardship and custody, not ownership. So the property designation goes to the United States Government, reflecting that the records are government assets used to document care, support accountability, and ensure continuity of treatment.