If the college student is taken to the hospital unconscious, will the hospital staff know how to contact their family?  Or more importantly will they have permission to discuss the college student’s medical information with their family? Most college students want their parents help in a medical emergency.  Under the privacy laws (“HIPAA”), the medical personnel can go to jail or pay huge fines if they release this information without permission.  It is important for college students to have a medical power of attorney, HIPAA authorization and a health emergency card in place.  It is also important to make sure that the hospital staff know how to access these documents and how to reach the family members.  This is why parents names and phone numbers appear right on the emergency card, so that family can be contacted right away.  And whenever a hospital uses the student’s emergency card to obtain the student’s HIPAA release, the parent receives an immediate alert. This alert gives the parent the hospital’s phone number so they can call directly and find out what is happening with their child.

The emergency card can list allergies and other medical information so the healthcare professional has immediate access to that information, so that medical professionals can provide the most appropriate treatment immediately.

If you would like a copy of my new guide “Life Care Planning for the Aging and those with Long Term Illness”, email me at Leigh@Leighhilton.net.  

Leigh Hilton, Attorney at Law
2717 Wind River Lane, Suite 131
Denton, TX 76210
940 343-8050
Leigh@Leighhilton.net

The information contained in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Nothing in this blog should be deemed to create or constitute an attorney-client relationship between any readers and this firm. An attorney-client relationship is created only when this firm agrees to represent someone and a written employment agreement or engagement letter is signed by both the client and attorney. In all cases, the reader should consult his or her own attorney for advice. The information in this blog is based on Texas law.

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