The requirement that each patient should have access to their health record in an electronic format is mandated to be in effect by the year 2014.  Should it matter if you have your record in paper or electronic format?  For international patients I bet I matters and for patients traveling across the USA to receive quality health care it matters. 

With the high cost of flying and each and every airline has some type of charge on luggage, it is critical that this information is in a format that it can be easily transported.  It is too costly and bulky to transport paper record.  I know the federal mandate is more about reducing the cost of health care, accessibility of information and quality outcome for but one major benefit to patients traveling is the reduction in the cost of lugging around their information.