Care doesn't end at age 18 - not at MI PEDS!
(but parents' access and permissions do unless...)
One of the unique featues of our practice is we do not force patients to transition care to an adult provider on the 18th birthday. (Nothing magical happens on that day!)
Dr. Wood recognizes that every patient is unique, and has unique care requirements. Therefore, he transitions patients individually based on their ongoing needs. This may be shortly after the 18th birthday, or not until after college, or perhaps longer.
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However, the law is clear on what others, including parents, have the right to know or do after that 18th birthday. Essentially, once a patient is 18 years old, no other individuals, including parents, have a right to healthcare information or to direct any aspect of a patient's medical care. That is, unless the adult patient specifically gives them permission to do so.
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Our practice makes available specific forms that allow parents (or other designees) to communicate with our office, receive medical information, and/or give the right or authority to direct certain aspects of care.
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The "HIPAA FORM" is a document that designates who our practice can communicate with regarding a patient's health information. It does NOT provide the right for a designee to direct us to do anything for the patient - including for example, making or canceling appointments, moving prescriptions to a different pharmacy, changing a prescription to a new medication or supply, or frankly any other type of direction related to that adult patient.
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To allow a parent or other designee the authority to direct aspects of an adult patient's care, a "MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY" would be required.​
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Below are links to these two forms.
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They can be executed on or after a patient's 18th birthday, but not before.
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The forms must be submitted directly by the patient either in person, through their patient portal (using the patient's credentials), by mail, or by email (from the patient's email address). Note that the MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY does require two witnesses (but does not require being notarized).​​​​