HIPAA Authorization
A legal document that allows an individual's health information to be used or disclosed to a third party.
The waiver is part of a series of patient-privacy measures set forth in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. The HIPAA regulations sets forth the requirements for a written authorization to receive protected health information. The HIPAA Authorization incorporates these requirements while giving the drafter the flexibility to create broad authorizations or those limited in scope as to the type of information and the purpose for release. It is important to specify the expiration period for the HIPAA authorization. It is often a good idea to have the authorization remain in effect for a period of time after the client's death, to allow trusted individuals to access medical information in the event of a wrongful death or malpractice claim, or where access to medical information is otherwise needed after the client's death.
