3. Health Care Proxies and HIPAA Releases. A health care proxy, or medical power of attorney, is a document in which you name an agent to assist if your are unable to act for yourself. The health care proxy designates an agent to make medical decisions. A HIPAA release authorizes a named agent to access your private health information and communicate with medical providers, but not make medical decisions for you. These are documents you should have or that should be reviewed. If you have signed documents, be certain that name people as agents, and successors, are able and willing to assist. If for example you named a family member who lives a thousand miles away it may be preferable to have somebody closer by, certainly through the current COVID-19 circumstances.

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