Are you planning to send your child off to college? Then you’ve probably bought the books, comforters, towels, snacks, cellphone and other supplies that a new freshman typically needs. You probably gave them some sage advice about being on their own. You might have gotten them a credit card, helped them join some student clubs and maybe even signed them up for school healthcare. There’s quite a list of tasks to get a new college student ready. Is having them sign an Advance Medical Directive or Power of Attorney on your list? Probably not, but it definitely should be.
Under the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), hospitals, doctors and other healthcare professionals are barred by law from disclosing information about a person’s health or medical conditions without express permission. A spouse of many years? A mom, dad, grandparent or dear friend? A grown child? Doesn’t matter. The relationship to the patient is irrelevant. Most surprising to people is a child who recently turned age 18 or a legal adult that parents are still financially responsible for. No health information will be shared without the agent having an Advance Directive or Power of Attorney with HIPAA provision. Imagine your 19 year old getting into a car accident on their drive home from college. Without the proper documentation, you wouldn’t be able to even get a status report or find out if your child was in critical condition. So, before you send them on their way, consider getting a standard form from your estate attorney for them to sign.