Don’t hate your healthcare provider. We’re just trying to comply with federal law. HIPAA is designed as a mean to protect patients private information and give patients control over the use of their information. As healthcare providers, we’re required to document document document and ask you for documents.
When sending your under aged children (under 18 years of age) to their doctors appointment, you MUST send them with a letter allowing the provider to proceed with treatment. Without this letter in hand, we, by law, cannot proceed with treatment. Same rule applies even if the child is accompanied by grandparents or another adult. Intake forms also need to be filled out by the parent.
To be on the safe side, call your healthcare provider’s office to inquire about their policy.