What is a Health Care Surrogate?

A Health Care Surrogate is you name to be able make health care decisions for you - if you are not able to communicate or you have been judged an incapacitated person.   This person is also called an "agent", and it is possible that you can you name more than one person to be co-agents as well as alternate agents to ensure that someone will be available to act on your behalf.

What is a HIPPA Release?

The HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR §164.500-534) became effective on April 14, 2001. The primary purpose of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is to ensure the privacy of patients is protected while allowing health data to  be shared between authorized healthcare agents and your doctor, hospital, or other medical provider.

In order for a Health Care Surrogate Agent to be able to make informed decisions for you, you must execute a Designation of a Healthcare Surrogate with the appropriate language present so that your Health Care Surrogate Agent may be shared your private, protected health information.

How Does my Health Care Surrogate know what I would want?

This is where you must discuss with your Health Care Surrogate Agent what types of medical treatments you would want, as well as in a variety of quality of life conditions.    We have tools that we will work with you on to help you layout your wishes, as well as guides on how to have an effective conversation.

These types of conversations are not easy, but essential and in most cases, draws us together so that we know what our loved ones want and what is expected of the Health Care Surrogate Agent.

Give us a call.   We can help.

Law Office of Shawn C. Newman, P.A.
710 Northeast 26th Street
Wilton Manors, FL 33305-1238
Phone: (954) 563-9160

Serving all of the greater Fort Lauderdale area and Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties in Southern Florida.