HIPAA Release

HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, guards your protected health information against unauthorized access. No one can share HIPAA-protected records without your explicit authorization, not even for a research study.

In certain circumstances, you may wish to draft a HIPAA release to share private medical records with others. Call Jordan & White, LLC, at (978) 744-2811 to learn more about incorporating a HIPAA release into your estate plan in Massachusetts.

What Is a HIPAA Release?

Every estate plan should appoint a health care or medical proxy who will be able to make decisions for you in an emergency. To make sure these decisions answer your health needs, the health care proxy must have access to your medical records. That’s where a HIPAA release comes into the picture.

A HIPAA release allows medical professionals in charge of your care to share sensitive information with your healthcare proxy. With a release in place, your proxy can research, study, and use the necessary information to make the best possible medical decisions on your behalf. A HIPAA release may include:

  • The information you authorize to release
  • The name of your health care proxy
  • The dates when the release form is valid

Who Needs a HIPAA Release in Massachusetts

If you are married, in most cases your spouse gets automatic access to your medical records in an emergency. Otherwise, HIPAA may conceal your records from even the closest family members.

Robust medical directives with a HIPAA release and clear directions for a health care proxy can protect your interests and save your family precious time and energy in an already stressful situation. A HIPAA release can play a vital role in the following scenarios:

  • You are unmarried and want to grant your long-term partner access to your medical information
  • You name a trusted friend, rather than a family member, as your health care proxy
  • You prefer to share your sensitive medical information with some family members but not with others (e.g., only one parent or sibling)

We Can Help You Draft a HIPAA Release

A HIPAA release gives your chosen health care agent immediate access to private medical records and helps them make informed decisions. With a HIPAA release, your agent doesn’t have to wait for your physician to declare you incompetent.

Our trusted legal team of Jordan & White, LLC, can help you draft a HIPAA release that protects your wishes and empowers your health care proxy to act quickly in a critical situation.

Jordan & White, LLC: We Make Sure Your Estate Plan Covers Your Healthcare Needs on the North Shore of Massachusetts

A HIPAA release enables your appointed healthcare agent to access your medical records and use this information to make optimal healthcare decisions on your behalf.

At Jordan & White, LLC, we help you create a comprehensive estate plan that covers any medical crisis. We use legal tools like powers of attorney, advanced medical directives, and HIPAA releases to empower and protect clients on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Call us at (978) 744-2811 or contact us online to draft a HIPAA release.