<p>How did you or your kid's college or health service handle the HIPPA issue? I wonder in what event parents would be contacted and how much information would be shared if your over-18-year-old were to need any emergency care or develop serious health problems (especially if college is far away). We've had to get HIPPA waivers for our elderly parents, just to get be able to get health care professionals to talk with family. Is it the same with college students? It was a shock the first time a health care person said, "I can't discuss [kid's health issue] with you," after that 18th birthday. We found HIPPA got in the way of being able to advocate for older relatives. Now I wonder how to advocate for a college student should that become necessary.</p>
<p>My D’s (2 of them) colleges both offer waivers that can be signed so parent/s get HC info if needed. You’re right, its similar to elderly parents (been there done that). Also have a talk with your student…mine both said no problem to knowing the info and signed the paper. Its a hard situation…I ran a boarding school health center and we ran into this ALL the time. Most students wanted their parents involved but some did not. The problem was that our MD visits were billed on their school monthly bill as were rx, so the parents were going to know. Find out if your chosen college/s offer the waiver I mentioned.</p>
<p>There are some standard legal HIPPA authorization forms that you can have the student sign to release information. . Check with the school or the state they are going to be in or have an attorney draw them up. They seem to vary a little by state.</p>
<p>I think it’s a good idea to have a notarized HIPAA authorization for the release of health info for all family members over 18. You never know when someone might become ill or injured when out of town.</p>
<p>We have a Medical Power of Attorney on file in the student health office–came in handy spring of freshman year when there was an issue w/regards to insurance. Student health was quickly reminded about this legal document when they initially refused discussion w/me as the parent. Yes, I am sure that there are waivers as well; Medical Power of Attorney covers all bases, esp since spouse is an attorney. Student has no issues with this and conversely, elderly parent has now signed one for us as well in addition to Durable Power of Attorney. We are truly in the sandwich generation in our household!</p>
<p>Ahh yes, Medical Power of Attorney was what I was trying to remember. We have those executed, too.</p>
<p>It’s my understanding, having done all of these through my mom’s attorney, that the Medical POA only comes into play if the person is incapable of understanding or making decisions regarding their medical care. Otherwise, it doesn’t entitle the named agent to medical information, insurance discussions, etc. I believe a HIPPA waiver is required for those.</p>
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Yes and it will be required for each provider.
For instance, you son/daughter might not mind if you knew they had strep throat but their privacy is still protected (if they so choose) if they are tested or treated for an STD.</p>
<p>The power of attorney is important if something really bad happens, to avoid delays in getting permission to make treatment decisions. Unlikely to ever need this, fortunately college students rarely get that sick. </p>
<p>The privacy waiver would come up with respect to any medical issues. Remember, there is a reason the law applies to people 18 and older: they are considered adults, and have rights to privacy. Recognizing this is part of parental letting go. If you get a medical bill, certainly reasonable to be in contact with your child to offer help and concern, but also respect their privacy. The student is learning what it is about to be an adult, and they need to decide when, and how much, to involve others in their health issues.</p>
<p>MY D’s school says a HIPPA waiver is disease-specific (huh?) as in a student can allow the parents full access to allergy (or whatever) treatment but zero for everything else.</p>
<p>They did say that they will call a parent if a child has been taken to an ER bcos a police report will be filed by the ambulance company and the transportation aspect is public record.</p>
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<p>Thats definitely not true. Parents will only be called if the person is a minor (<18 y/o) - otherwise, ambulance records ARE medical records and are covered by HIPAA. And I don’t know what they were talking about with police reports - but ambulance companies sure as hell don’t get the police involved in their calls unless there is a legal reason to do so (rape, suspected abuse, etc.)</p>
<p>and trying to resolve my opinions. I definitely do not want to pry into private areas of my child’s life. Sometimes it helps to “try it on” for another family member, so I checked how I would feel if one of my adult siblings was far away and living with no family nearby.</p>
<p>This helped me realize that what I was worried about would be the same no matter which family member was involved. Certainly if my family member was seriously or gravely ill or injured, I would want to know. But, I would also be concerned if my family member was laid low with a bad flu, or a sprained ankle. In those two examples, they could tell me themselves, of course.</p>
<p>However, what if they are incapacitated? Do doctors/hospitals automatically call the emergency contact? What is the most reliable method of making it apparent who the emergency contact is?</p>
<p>P.S. Yes, I AM a worry wart.</p>
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<p>They will try to contact a spouse or next of kin, who would have decision-making power in these situations, unless the patient had already made a living will or power of attorney, or made some other previous decision on healthcare (like a DNR). As for how they would find this person, I don’t know - I’d imagine if they know the patient is a student, they would contact the school to get emergency contact info. A lot of people recommend putting an emergency contact in your cell phone under the entry “ICE” (In Case of Emergency). On several occasions, I’ve looked through patient’s cell phones and called “Home” or “Mom” or “Dad”. Needless to say, every reasonable effort is made to find such a person for minors and incapacitated patients.</p>
<p>Icarus:</p>
<p>I’m only reporting what the health services director told us at orientation last week – they will only call if a student (18+) has been admitted to a local hospital. They said that campus police are first responders and their EMT’s can/will transport. They said the campus police will issue a report…</p>
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<p>Ah interesting - well, they must mean that the police are trained in first aid and respond to all medical calls on campus as police (not as medical responders). Otherwise, I’d imagine they would be bound by HIPAA just as much as their EMTs are. And they would have to get the student’s name independent of the medical responders, who otherwise can’t release that info to law enforcement without a legal reason. But that whole thing seems very odd to me. Issuing a public report every time a student is transported to the hospital? Very weird.</p>
<p>bluebayou, my D’s school said the same thing. She has a health condition and I’m about 3.5 hours away. Health Services director said for her to call campus police, not 911, and they will call ambulance and escort them to her. As this would be considered an emergency, her e-contact person (me) would also be notified by campus police.</p>
<p>Since most dorms are locked to all but residents, and many colleges are difficult to navigate for outsiders, I’m guessing this is the common procedure for many schools.</p>
<p>Yes, campus police are trained first responders at this school.</p>
<p>Icarus:</p>
<p>If I recall correctly, the Police Chief, who also spoke at Orientation, mentioned that 100% of his force was trained in basic emergency care, and that ~30% were certificated EMT’s (can’t recall exact number). All of the force has a local city authority as well, (to patrol off campus housing).</p>
<p>afan, I understand privacy/independence issues in this age group. But…the quality of student health care can be good, bad, or indifferent. Unfortunately, some practitioners can hide behind HIPPA when they don’t want to be bothered or are to busy to communicate with family. </p>
<p>Also, serious problems do develop in this age group, and providers have told me HIPPA laws unfortunately restrict their ability to reach out to family–for common mental health issues like depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Not to be an alarmist, but I know of several very sad cases in my own community, where college children died after insufficient or no health care or intervention for substance abuse. One suffered a permanent damage after a very treatable injury was misdiagnosed at a well known medical center near the college. The parents, 2000 miles away, were talking with the child but not with healthcare providers. The importance of having an advocate trumps privacy, though this can be tough for this age group to understand.</p>
<p>Beyond that, I believe EVERYONE would be best served if they had an advocate when they are navigating health care. College kids especially don’t really know when to seek care, how to give their medical history, what to do if care is inadequate or they have an adverse reaction, or how to know if their insurance coverage/payments are correct. Yes, these things are teachable, but the opportunities arise when college kids are sick and parents are not always nearby. Many adults, when ill, have difficulty handling these things, even if they have the knowledge. Everyone should have somebody in their lives who can fill this role–hence it is a great idea to get waivers etc. in place ahead of time, and work towards an understanding with your college student. Let the independence battles play out in other arenas.</p>
<p>MomPhD,</p>
<p>I agree. But it is up to adults to decide who to bring into their confidence for these decisions. Most college students come from a background where parental involvement was automatic. Then they need to learn to ask for help when they need it. Difficult for parents to step back, and yes, sometimes kids would be better served if they had more attention. But the same applies to other adults when they have left home.</p>
<p>MomPhD- I think you will find that Mental Health providers guard patient information very carefully. some won’t give parents information even if the patient is a minor without consent.
Whereas, a parent might get a call from the RA saying your child has a broken arm and is in the ER you probably won’t get a call telling you that the police picked up your suicidal child and is in the ER. Even if someone from the school tells you that your child has been taken to the hospital for mental health reasons they probably won’t tell you which hospital.</p>
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It’s really important for parents to teach their children about these issues. Start having them take responsibility when they are in high school. Make them talk to their dr as opposed to you doing all the talking during visits.
My youngest had a chronic health problem all during high school and I never worried about her because she was already so familiar with medical procedures, the system and talking to different doctors. The healthy kids are the ones to worry about!</p>