Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 1, 2026
Who holds the health record in Bahamas?
In 2026, Bahamas scores 39 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 99th of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 80th to 133rd allowing for scoring error, in the Weak band (25 to 44). Who holds the keys: doctors, hospitals and insurers. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026.
Doctors, hospitals and insurers decide. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is control over who sees it (35 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country). The furthest behind is protection from sale and ads (40 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country).
Bahamians can ask each provider for a copy of their record under a 2003 law, but public clinics were still moving off paper in 2026.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 1, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Weak band, 25 to 44
39/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 80th to 133rd, allowing for scoring error
Low confidence. Thin evidence on 4 of the 8 rights: your copy, who sees it, joined-up record and doctors see it. The evidence grade rates all our sources together; confidence looks at each right. Neither changes the score.
Questions people ask
Can I see my health record in Bahamas?
In 2026, getting your full record scores 45 out of 100 in Bahamas; the typical country scores 40 to 45. The 2003 Data Protection Act gives a right to a copy within 40 days, but the Minister may set a fee and no national portal with the full record was verified. NHI's patient portal for its own providers offsets the fee. Source: Lex Bahamas, April 2003, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in Bahamas?
In 2026, doctors, hospitals and insurers hold the keys to your health record in Bahamas. Control over who sees it scores 35 out of 100 in Bahamas; the typical country scores 30. The 2003 law has no consent rules, and no opt-out or patient-visible access log was found. Source: NHI Bahamas, and the other sources below.
How does Bahamas compare?
In 2026, Bahamas scores 39 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Chile (39 out of 100), Barbados (37 out of 100) and Jamaica (37 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Chile, Barbados, Jamaica and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
45
45 · 45 · 40
Control over who sees it20%
35
35 · 30 · 30
Privacy and security15%
45
40 · 44 · 48
One record across your care15%
35
38 · 35 · 30
Protection from sale and ads10%
40
42 · 40 · 50
Doctors see it when treating you10%
30
35 · 30 · 30
Your say over research use5%
46
50 · 43 · 46
Rules for AI in your care5%
25
30 · 28 · 25
Black dot: Bahamas. Hollow dots: Chile, Barbados, Jamaica (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Overall: Bahamas 39 out of 100. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would Bahamas need to change to score higher?
Bahamas sits in Weak (25 to 44); Mixed starts at 45. Its two weakest rights, compared with the typical country and weighted by how much each counts, are protection from sale and ads (40 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country) and one record across your care (35 out of 100, against 38 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Protection from sale and ads: Clear limits on selling health data or using it for ads, covering apps and data brokers as well as doctors and hospitals.
One record across your care: Family doctors, hospitals, labs, pharmacies, insurers and public health all linked to one record that is used across the country.
Which laws give health record rights in Bahamas?
Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act, 2003 (Ch. 324A): Law in force: health is sensitive data, copy within 40 days, fines up to $100,000.
Data Protection Act, 2025: Passed replacement: consent for health data, 72-hour breach notice, marketing consent. Not yet in force.
National Health Insurance Act, 2025: Providers must record care in NHIA's EHR; medical history shared only with consent; confidentiality offences.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
18.9 2017
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
42.2 2023
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
56.8% 2023
Record reaches private care?
unknown
Real cases
November 12, 2025 · The Tribune (Nassau) · archived copy Patient waits nearly three months for own hospital records after paying the fee
In 2026, Bahamas scored 39 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 99th of 198 countries and territories (could be 80th to 133rd), in the Weak band. Who holds the keys: doctors, hospitals and insurers. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/bahamas/
The 15 sources for Bahamas
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (4 sources)
“Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act, 2003”
Lex Bahamas (law or regulation) · Title in English
Dated April 2003 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Privacy and security; Protection from sale and ads; Your say over research use
“The Bahamas National Health Strategy (2026 to 2030)”
Ministry of Health and Wellness (government guidance) · Title in English
Dated March 31, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; One record across your care; Doctors see it when treating you; Your say over research use; Rules for AI in your care
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/bahamas/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
