An apparatus, including a memory device for storing a healthcare record or history for an individual which includes information provided by the individual or a healthcare provider, and information regarding a healthcare insurer or payer, a receiver for receiving information regarding the individual, containing information obtained from a device or equipment, or information regarding an examination finding, symptom, diagnosis, or prescribed treatment, transmitted from a first communication device to the receiver via, on, or over, the Internet and/or World Wide Web, a processing device which processes information for storing or updating the information regarding the individual in the healthcare record or history and which processes a request for information and generates a message in response to the request, and a transmitter for transmitting the message via, on, or over, Internet and/or World Wide Web to the first communication device or to a second communication device.