The DoD Military Health System includes hundreds of hospitals and clinics called military
treatment facilities (MTF). MTFs provide inpatient and outpatient medical care worldwide
to active duty personnel, eligible military retirees, dependent family members, and
other eligible individuals.
MTFs currently maintain both paper-based and electronic records for their patients.
We have arranged for expedited transfer of most military health system electronic
records via the Medical Evidence Gathering and Analysis through Health Information
Technology (MEGAHIT) system or the DoD central location system. These processes allow
the Disability Determination Services (DDS) to send one request to obtain available
MER from all MTFs.
We automatically receive MER from the DoD through MEGAHIT at case transfer from the
field office to the DDS in most claims at the initial level. The DDS should first
check the folder to see if we already received this evidence electronically through
MEGAHIT before requesting MER from the DoD.