If your dad had a heart attack and was hospitalized, could you call and get information from hospital staff and his doctor? If your dad had put your name on the HIPPA Confidentiality Form when he was admitted, the answer is yes.
Parents, if you were in a car crash, injured and could not speak for yourself, could your adult son gain information from the ICU nurses about your health? If your adult son’s name is on the HIPPA Confidentiality Form, the answer is yes. If his name is not on that paper, the doctor and hospital staff are not allowed to give information because of the federal HIPPA law. (That paper may be referred to by a different names but HIPPA Confidentiality Form is descriptive and will let medical people know what you are referring to.)
The HIPPA confidentiality paper is a paper each patient fill out at your doctor’s office once a year and at every hospital visit. This paper tells who you approve to receive your medical information.
The HIPPA law of 1993 protects our medical information. I’m sure we all approve of that goal. We just need to stop and think about who we want to receive our medical information in case we were involved in a car crash or medical situation and could not speak for ourselves.
Which brings up another question? Do you have a living will or durable power of attorney for health care? More tomorrow.
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