HIPPA Release Lawyer for College-Bound Students

Whether your college student is heading off for the first year of classes or they have many years of study already behind them, there is one important task to take care of before they start the new school year. They need to execute a HIPAA release.

This legal document allows parents or someone else they trust to assist with medical issues, including emergencies as well as routine services and insurance issues. At the Law Office of Cameron H.P. White, P.A., we can prepare a HIPAA release that covers a range of circumstances to protect your college student.

What is a HIPAA Release?

HIPAA stands for the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This federal legislation protects sensitive patient information from disclosure. However, in the process of providing that protection, the law also creates some challenges.

Once a student turns 18, they are a legal adult, regardless of whether parents are still paying medical bills or providing health insurance. That means that under HIPAA, no one can access that student’s health information without the student’s direct authorization. If a student is in an accident, doctors and other medical professionals may not be permitted to share any information with parents or other family members. If a student has problems with insurance through a parent’s policy, the parent will not be able to help straighten it out without proper authorization.

A HIPPA release allows your student to designate parents, other family members, and/or friends to have access to medical information. In a perfect world, the release would never be needed. But in an emergency or other challenging situation, having this release prepared ahead of time could prove to be vitally important.

Coordinating Health Care Documents for a Young Adult Estate Plan

A HIPPA release works well in conjunction with other health care planning documents that every adult should have, including students heading off to college. The other two critical health care planning documents are often referred to in Florida as advance directives. They include a health care surrogate designation and a living will.

Essentially, a health care surrogate designation serves as a medical power of attorney. This document authorizes someone to make medical decisions for a person who is incapacitated and unable to communicate. If a college student were unconscious due to an accident, for instance, the healthcare surrogate could approve treatment or choose care options.

A living will is a legally-recognized statement of instructions for the type of care an individual would want to receive if they are incapacitated and not able to communicate their own decisions. While a healthcare surrogate may be authorized to make those decisions, having instructions provided in a living will provides guidance and reinforcement for the surrogate and can make matters much easier on a family in times of crisis.

Get the HIPAA the Protective Documents Your College Student Needs

Before you pack the car for the next trip to campus, make sure your student is prepared for more than just academic matters. At the Law Office of Cameron H.P. White, P.A., we can prepare the HIPAA authorization and any other legal documents your young adult needs to be protected in the future.

If you have questions about documents recommended for college students, we’d be happy to talk to you. Just schedule a consultation at your convenience.