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<p>It seems many health care providers don’t understand HIPAA and I’m sure many people in general don’t understand it. And it really makes things confusing when you get into health care settings at schools or universities–then that information could fall under HIPAA or FERPA it just depends.</p>
<p>Regarding Dr offices and HIPAA. I was surprised recently with two different Dr’s offices that when they called with test results for both my H and S they gave them to me. For my S it was from the dermatologist regarding something they had removed and sent out. They gave me the results. I was surprised but when I went to the same Dr for myself several weeks later I noticed on the form they have added a note for college students. There was a place to sign if it was okay to talk to a parent about treatment and with test results. I am assuming my S signed permission for the Dr’s office to talk with me.</p>
<p>I would never deal directly with a collection agency. In most cases I’ve seen or heard about, dealing with them directly only compounds the problem.</p>
<p>FERPA covers discussions about the bill, and the bursars office “stuff” and other things NOT related to medical issues. Your kiddo can sign a FERPA release that is good for a year.</p>
<p>HIPAA forms must be completed for each DIFFERENT medical issue.</p>
<p>I rarely disagree with thumper1.
But the statement that
“HIPAA forms must be completed for each DIFFERENT medical issue” might be technically accurate but not what actually happens in the real world, at least in NJ where we live.</p>
<p>As mom60 above also notes, some DR offices solicit HIPAA releases from patients. Many of our local pharmacies will discuss/fill scripts for family members with an ongoing release. (Some don’t even ask for one).
I’ve worked in health care/hospitals for many years. Have lived through the introduction and evolution of HIPAA and am required to pass yearly compliance training on it.
Just pointing out that what the ‘law’ reads and what practice is varies greatly.</p>
<p>Thumper, thanks for reminding me of FERPA…I knew it had its own name but I kind of just lump it under my own title “HIPAA for school” since it also relates to privacy issues.</p>
<p>Oh I agree that HIPAA isn’t adhered to the way it’s SUPPOSED to be in some places. </p>
<p>When our kids enrolled in college, we specifically asked if we could have a HIPAA form on file for any occurance…we were told NO. We talked to our lawyer about this (with DD because she is across the country) and he said if we wanted to be guaranteed the right to talk to the doctors about any health issue at any time, he would write up a limited power of attorney for us to do so. BUT he did advise that IF a child is unconscious, the hospitals and doctors WILL talk to you as their parent/next of kin. He then spoke to our kids to advise them that it would be prudent to list parents on the HIPAA forms when asked.</p>
<p>We recently got a collection agency looking for payment for outpatient surgery son had 4 years ago (he was 19)! At the time our insurance paid most of the bill and we had to pay about $600. Two years later my husband’s company changed insurance companies. Out of nowhere almost 2 years after that, we get a $1,300 bill for the hospital part of the surgery. Of course son is not living here anymore and they wouldn’t talk to me. Son called both the hospital and the collection agency and gave them verbal permission to talk to me, which they have done. How did they know it was him? Anyway, it turns out that the original insurance company decided 3 years after the fact that they paid too much, asked the hospital for a refund and got it! We never heard from the hospital - the first we knew was a nasty phone call, 7 months after the hospital refunded the $ to the insurance company. </p>
<p>I talked with the collection agency frequently while husband was working with his HR department to try to get this mess straightened out with the original insurance company. The CA told me they would hold the debt until we got it settled, as long as I called every 2 weeks to let them know we were still working on it. Lo and behold they sent it to the credit reporting service anyway, even though I called as directed. The CA said all I can do now is pay the bill and write a letter to the collection agency, explaining what I was told and what we did, and “maybe” they would withdraw the report to the reporting agency.</p>
<p>I plan to pay it this week, then try to get it back from the ins. co. and write the appropriate letter. This just isn’t right.</p>
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<p>Nope. And voila…</p>
<p>Common mistake.</p>
<p>Regards,
voiladad</p>
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<p>In my case, I had no choice. The radiologist’s office wouldn’t talk to me about it, since they had sent it to collection. They said I had to deal with the collection agency.</p>
<p>Violadad -</p>
<p>Well, we have many tubas, basses, banjos, and guitars around our house…
but no violas nor voilas.</p>
<p>So that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.</p>
<p>Be careful; we ran into a few instances with my mother-in-law where she were being balance billed. In other words the health care provider had been paid their agreed upon pre-negotiated rate by the insurance company and they were still trying to collect the “difference” in fees from her.</p>
<p>If you don’t have it, you can get the EOB (explanation of benefits) from your insurance company to see if this is what is going on. It is illegal and could cost the provider the ability to work with that insurance provider in the future at the very least.</p>
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<p>Yeah, that is unfortunate. In that case then, my primary advice would be to deal with them only in writing and make sure they validate everything in detail. You can’t trust them to honor any agreement by telephone.</p>