HIPAA Authorizations in Parsons

Start with the access you want to allow

Consider who should be able to speak with your healthcare providers and what information that person should be able to receive. You may want a recipient to help coordinate care or keep family members informed, without giving that person authority to choose treatment. The authorization should reflect the access you intend, rather than treating every trusted person as having the same role.

Scope and duration are useful points to consider together. Ask whether you want to identify particular information or providers, and whether access should continue indefinitely or end at a chosen point. The right choices depend on your goals and the document being prepared.

Compare information access with healthcare authority

A HIPAA authorization concerns disclosure of health information. A healthcare power of attorney or advance healthcare directive addresses a different question: who may act as your healthcare decision-maker, and, in a directive, what preferences you want recorded. Tennessee’s advance directive form addresses an agent or alternate and healthcare preferences.

State-law authority can make someone a HIPAA personal representative. That role is distinct from simply naming someone on an information-sharing authorization. Depending on the authority involved, a separate authorization may not always be needed for a personal representative to have access. Do not assume that an authorization alone gives its recipient authority to make healthcare decisions.

Prepare a one-page access plan

Before discussing documents, write a short plan that can be checked against the authorization and any healthcare directive. For each person you are considering, note the relationship, the access you want that person to have, any limits or end point you have in mind, and whether you also want that person to have healthcare decision-making authority. Mark any provider or category of information you want to discuss specifically.

Bring any existing HIPAA authorization, healthcare power of attorney or advance directive, along with amendments or revocations you have. Note who has copies and whether your current preferences differ from what those documents say. Reviewing the actual documents helps keep information-sharing instructions distinct from decision-making roles.

• Recipient name and contact details; intended information access and any limits.
• Desired duration or event for ending access, if applicable.
• Existing healthcare documents and a list of people or providers who may have copies.

Questions to resolve before signing

Ask whether the proposed authorization covers the information and people you intend, how its duration works, and how changes or revocation should be handled. Ask how the authorization fits with your healthcare directive and any agent or alternate named there. If one person should receive information while another makes healthcare decisions, say so clearly during planning.

Dale Law Group, PLLC offers HIPAA authorizations, healthcare powers of attorney and advance healthcare directives. The firm is based in Murfreesboro and serves Tennessee; Parsons is in Decatur County. Contact the firm to discuss which documents fit your plan and how to keep their roles consistent.