legal question - rights of SO

luvbug00 wrote: I know that unless made spouse or POA i am unable to know any medical history or make any medical choises in regards lars. But this is my question, Since i am niether I wondered how far is my reach to assist to obtain medical care for him? and is there any other way aside from Power Of Attorney to be givin thease privalages? can Lars sign somthing that allows me more leeway to assist him medically?? His insurance has denied my access to his account (even with his ssn and other tools to prove identity) as i wanted to find a dr for him and schdual a meeting between myself and dr for a half hour to disclose what i know so that will help the dr with a prognosis. But they wouldn't let me and so i really need to find out what i can do.
Lars is aware of all this and has asked me to ask arround for any knolage anyone might have.

coasterqueen replied: Does the insurance company have a website? You can look up info on the docs that way. I used to make appointments and go with DH all the time before we were married, but i know rules have gotten stricter.

luvbug00 replied: Yeah i can find the dr's # alright, but it'd finding out what his policy covers which meds they have and such that i have tried to call and get info on. They said it would cause them to contact a physican and therefore stepping into the privacy thing. And getting a dr. to agree to meet with me is impossible.

momofone replied: webmd.com is a good site talks about all types of health issues.

freedoctoradvice.info just found this one.

luvmykids replied: It sounds to me like the best thing would be for Lars to set up an appointment and you go with him. Even with a POA if he is able to go I think a dr would hesitate, usually the POA is for when the other party is unable to care for themselves.

mckayleesmom replied: They can't talk to you unless you have POA ...It goes against the HIPPA right to privacy act.

luvbug00 replied: thanks for the sites.

Lars refuses to set it up himself, it must me a men vs. dr. thing. he'll only go if i make the appoinment and go with so i suppose i will do that and pray the dr. will see me too.

luvmykids replied:
You should be able to call and make the appointment, and when you go Lars should be able to say he wants you in the visit, I've taken my mom with me inside the examination room.

DVFlyer replied: While I'm sure you mean well, it sounds like Lars needs to deal with this himself.

Calimama replied:
I agree.

luvbug00 replied:

MUCH easier said then done. It's VERY serious and hard to face for those unwilling, yet need to.

gr33n3y3z replied:
You can set up the appointment for Lars and you can also go with him and also in the room but if lars refuses you to go in the room then you cant do anything about it but the Dr cant stop you from going in there.

I hope that works for you

My2Beauties replied: Working for an insurance company before I know a lot about HIPAA and hon you're going to continue to hit brick walls. With HIPAA you can't even find out your own spouse's diagnosis, you're not allowed to see your spouse's charts etc....legally at least. If you go to the doc and Lars allows you in the room that is fine and the doc is able to say whatever he needs to say, but say you didn't go and wanted to find out what was going on and you called the doc or insurance company to find out what they said about his condition....nope, even if you were married. Unless you are caring for an elderly parent or loved one and have POA you can't have any of their information and usually a POA deal is only granted in the case of extremely ill, terminally ill or elderly people who can no longer care for themselves. This is the way it was practiced at the insurance company I worked for. There were a bunch of lawsuits surrounding HIPAA, a wife had found out her husband cheated on her by finding out what he went to the doctor for (an STD), once she found out she divorced him, the man sued because it was his private matter, they violated his privacy, this is how it all started. They walk a fine line believe me.

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
My mom has made appointments for me when I was feeling to sick to call - and I'm sure he could just say he wants you in there with him. You wouldn't think they would refuse that.

coasterqueen replied:
Yeah, I'm not sure why you couldn't make the appointment at least. I do it for my boss every once in awhile and I've never had trouble. They are not going to care WHO makes the appointment, it's who shows up for it and pays for it

Also if his insurance is online, like I stated above, then you can get on their website, look at his coverage, see what doctors are covered, what medical procedures are covered, etc.

Then if Lars wants you to go to the appointment with him, all he needs to do is let the doctor know when you both get there that he wants you present in the room. I've NEVER heard of a doctor refusing that if the patient requests it.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied: I've had my Mom and my DH in the room with me before at different examinations and didnt run it by the Dr before the appointment. I just brought them in with me when they called my name to come back.

My sister's BIL passed away from Lou Gehrig's disease a few years ago and there were times - during his diagnosis and treatment - that him, his wife, his parents and quite a few brothers and sisters and inlaws would go to dr. visits with him.

I think you should make the appointment, go with him and just go in with him.

Good luck!

DVFlyer replied:
I don't know the details of this condition, but even though he "needs to" go to the doc, it seems pretty clear by what has been posted that you have no control over what he needs to do but are struggling to find a way to gain that control.

Perhaps if you could make a case that his life was in immediate jeopardy, the doctors would intervene.

lovemy2 replied: If he signs a Health Care Proxy in front of two witnesses then you can submit that to the insurance co and obtain info......Power of Attorney does not give any medical rights - just financial - at least that is the case in NYS.