Helping a Parent With Medicare: HIPAA, Power of Attorney & Why Family Status Isn't Enough

MEDICARE MONDAY Episode 19 | September 14th, 2026

Presenter:

Kylie Miller | Trusted Insurance Advisor at American Republic Insurance Services

Join Kylie Miller from American Republic Insurance Services in Episode 19 of Medicare Monday.

Kylie sits down to clear up a common family assumption: that being an adult child or caregiver automatically gives you the right to get answers from a parent's doctor or insurance plan.

Under the rules she walks through, it does not. Unless authorization forms are already in place, you generally do not have a legal right to make those choices or pull that information just because you are family.

Kylie names the paperwork that belongs in a caregiver kit before a crisis:

• A HIPAA release, so you can receive medical information.
  
• A health care power of attorney, so you can help with medical decisions.
  
• A financial power of attorney, so you can pay bills and handle money matters if needed.
  

She warns against waiting until a hospital stay, when a loved one cannot sign, and it is often too late for them to authorize you then. Get the forms done while they can still make the choice.

The work as bigger than one insurance card — educating the whole family so the plan, the gaps, and the decision-makers are clear before something serious happens.

Watch Episode 19 for insight into caregiver rights, the three forms that actually open the door, and why they have to be signed ahead of time.

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