<p>I believe the Federal law is HIPPA. The law seems to just cause so much trouble. Ties the hands of people who want to help and helps lazy people be lazy. I think everyone at the hospital had to go over a written review course. They still continue to send out memos because everyone is scared and the laws don't seem to make sense. One of the last memos said we are not allowed to look up any medical info of kids, spouse, SELF, etc unless providing direct care. I wondered to myself how I go about giving myself permission to let me look up my own labs on my computer (I need lab access as a pharmacist)</p>
<p>I have noticed some offices just have you sign stuff that you are aware of your rights. Other offices add spaces so that you can authorize info to other people, messages may be left on ans machines or with certain people.</p>
<p>Son's school will give you grades if child signs a form or parent provides IRS info that shows child is a dependent. We also have the agreement that we pay we see the grades.</p>
<p>On HIPAA: You can give instructions to the pharmacy, hospital, and doctors as to whom they can share information with--until you've done that, they can <em>not</em> share information of any kind. I had no trouble getting access to my own labs when I wanted them recently; there are standard forms for that. (Yes, you authorize "self" to examine the files.)</p>
<p>On FERPA: note that it says that educational privacy rights transfer when the child enters post-high school education. Yep, at 16 (when S went to college), we had no rights to see our son's grades, even though we were still legally responsible for him--and the school still wanted us to sign permission slips for PE courses and so on.</p>
<p>yes emeraldkity4 , it is federal, and we as healthcare people have it beaten over our heads regularly. It can very much get in the way at times, and it can be helpful when we have nosey family members just wanting to butt in. more importantly, I hope your daughter is alright.</p>