HIPAA Lawyer
If you’re hurt in an accident and rushed to the hospital, did you know that hospital staff might not be able to tell your loved ones anything about your condition? Your family might wonder for hours whether you are on the verge of death or expecting a quick recovery.
Did you know that if you had a stroke and were not able to communicate, your loved ones might be unaware and unable to help?
Did you know that if your child goes to college and gets hurt and has trouble getting treatment authorized by insurance, you may be unable to help even if you’re the one providing the insurance?
These situations can be frightening and frustrating. Federal privacy laws prohibit medical professionals from sharing medical information unless a patient has provided specific authorization.
We Can Help You Prepare Ahead of Time
Huizenga Law can prepare a HIPAA authorization form to allow individuals you choose to communicate with doctors so they can be informed about your condition. We can authorize someone to assist with insurance.
We build custom HIPAA authorization documents that grant specific authority for particular situations. For instance, if you want your partner to have access to certain details and more general information to be provided to family members, we create a document that grants just the right authorization.
Sharing Critical Information
With the right HIPAA documents prepared and ready, if an emergency strikes, loved ones can stay informed and be positioned to help.
Your family will not face frustrating red tape, delays, and uncertainty.
Instead of trying to find out where you are and how you are doing, friends and family will be informed. They might then be able to fetch things you need from home, help take care of your dog, and assist you in other ways.
Why You Need HIPAA Authorization
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, often simply referred to by the acronym HIPAA, is a federal law that was enacted to protect information about medical patients that was deemed sensitive. The law aims to protect patient privacy. Health care providers can get into serious trouble for violating HIPAA restrictions.
For that reason, medical professionals, insurance companies, and others associated with health care will refuse to discuss patient information with anyone not specifically authorized to receive that information.
To avoid problems and enable loved ones to have access to medical information when they need it, we prepare HIPAA consent documents for our clients as a key component of their estate plan.
Requirements for Authorization Can Vary
It seems like you should be able to authorize access to necessary medical records just by writing a simple sentence on a piece of paper. However, the complex requirements of HIPAA and the implementing regulations mean that your release form must contain particular language depending on the person you wish to authorize. We ensure that the authorization documents we create are tailored to provide access according to your wishes.
A HIPAA Authorization Works Best in Coordination with Other Health Care Documents
Giving loved ones authority to access your records and discuss your condition and treatment is an important step, but to fully protect health care matters and provide peace of mind, you should also have other documents in place. These include a medical power of attorney or health care proxy document that authorizes someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated and a living will specifying the type of medical treatment you would want in certain serious medical situations.
These documents only take effect if you are unable to make or communicate your decisions directly. They are sometimes referred to as advance directives.
Get the Right HIPAA Authorization from Huizenga Law
HIPAA authorization can enable loved ones to provide valuable assistance in an emergency situation. This document and other health care documents could enable you to receive care in accordance with your wishes and without unnecessary delays.
Perhaps more importantly, they provide security for your family and friends and reduce uncertainty. Every adult member of your family should have a HIPAA authorization prepared in case of emergency.
To talk to the team at Huizenga Law about the ways we can protect your family’s health care interests in the future, contact us today.
