In the past, practices allowed family members to pick up reports, x-rays, and prescriptions for a patient. Is this practice still allowed under the HIPAA Privacy rule?
A. Yes. Staff members may make a reasonable judgment call based on their experience and knowledge of the patient and if it is in the patient’s best interest to have someone else to act on their behalf. When in doubt, the staff should take reasonable steps to verify the person’s identity (e.g., call the patient to confirm that the individual has the authority to act on their behalf).
