What Is a HIPAA Authorization?
A HIPAA release form allows your loved one to access your medical records and communicate with your physicians for you if you are unable to do so. This form is based on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was designed to aggressively protect your personal medical data. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), is a Federal law that mandates national standards to protect the privacy of patients’ health care information.
HIPAA prevents “covered entities” such as doctors, hospitals, health plans, and other medical institutions from sharing your protected health information.
A health care power of attorney should be legally sufficient to authorize health care providers to share protected medical information with family members such as spouses and children. But because there are criminal penalties associated with violation of the HIPAA legislation, health care providers are very cautious about sharing your protected medical information with anyone.
For this reason is it is recommended that a separate HIPAA authorization form be executed which authorizes the disclosure of protected health information.
Neglecting the importance of a HIPAA release form can be surprisingly burdensome. Medical providers cannot release information about your health to your parent, spouse, child, or other trusted individual without this type of authorization.
Will medical personnel honor my HIPAA authorization?
Yes.