The Inquisition

              If you have never called Veterans Administration with a question on appointments, benefits, or medications, get ready to answer some questions. In this day and age of HIPAA privacy laws, healthcare providers and agencies can never be too careful to ensure that your medical and personal information is protected. Release of Information (ROI) is very delicate subject, and has many considerations, and I want to make sure you are prepared for what I like to call “the Inquisition.” If you are calling any provider or agency, be prepared to answer personal questions about your loved one, so they can qualify you and the patient, and be certain you are who you say you are before they tell you anything. Also, be aware that just because you have legal documentation on file, like Durable Power of Attorney, that may not be enough to get the information you need.

                My first call to the VA was an education. I was on hold for a while, but when they finally picked up, I was not at all prepared to answer their questions. These included the branch of military Gramps served (easy), and my favorite, date of military discharge (hard one). So, I take the phone over to Gramps, put the deafening tv on mute, and try to explain to him that VA needs some information from him to even speak to me. He hates the phone! I had to translate from the VA asking the question to my Gramps because he didn’t hear so well, and the VA lady is like “don’t lead him to the answer, I need to hear from him.” OMG! Here’s a tip, keep the military information, honorable discharge papers with branch, years served, ID number, and date of military discharge handy. You will need them to deal with VA, and, if you are planning a military funeral, you need them for those arrangements as well.

                I am not a lawyer, but here is what I learned, there is Power of Attorney and Durable Power of Attorney – you want the Durable POA. You also need to read the language and be sure you understand what is included, and maybe more importantly, what is excluded. Some agencies will also require that you sign their legal document or they will not speak or work with you even if you provide the POA. I know the Medicare HMO we worked with, as example, required Healthcare Surrogate documentation in addition to the standard “packet of particulars” I routinely provided. HIPAA privacy statements are common practice, with some places wanting annual signatures and others collect routinely at each appointment.

                Bottom line, it’s their game, their rules, know their rules, and abide by them. If they tell you they need to hear answers from your loved one, need their signature, even if only an X like Gramps, need certification, witnesses, whatever, just play along and save yourself undue aggravation. As they say, you can’t fight City Hall, so don’t try. Just be prepared as best you can, prepare your loved one, and get what you need.