November is…drumroll…National Family Caregiver Appreciation Month! (Cue confetti and trumpets.) Seriously, though—if anyone merits appreciation, it’s caregivers. To all the caregivers out there, Thank you.
We know that caregiving can be a rewarding—and sometimes challenging—experience. So before we get busy cleaning up this confetti, we’ll share some ways to smooth your path.
The Release of Information form is your friend
One hurdle for caregivers involves patient privacy. It’s against the law to access someone else’s health information without their consent (except in a medical emergency). Even if you’re a patient’s spouse or child, their doctors—and health plans like PacificSource—can’t share health-related information about them unless they agree.
That’s why you’ll want a Release of Information on file with each healthcare organization you deal with. It’s a simple form that lets patients designate someone to receive health insurance information about them. Note that this form does not allow the representative to speak on the member’s behalf.
Here is PacificSource’s Release of Health Information form.
In some cases, caregivers may have a Power of Attorney (POA) in place. There are several kinds of POA, including Limited, Medical, and Financial. In order to share information about a member’s care, we would need a Medical Power of Attorney on file (or a Release of Information).
To obtain a Medical Power of Attorney, you’ll need a form appropriate for your state. Medicare.gov publishes a handy list of state Medicare websites.
Make friends with the Caregiver Action Network
Who cares for the caregivers? The answer is often, “each other.”
One of the ways this happens is through an organization called the Caregiver Action Network. They “serve a broad spectrum of family caregivers ranging from the parents of children with significant health needs, to the families and friends of wounded soldiers; from a young couple dealing with a diagnosis of MS, to adult children caring for parents with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Their website, CaregiverActionNetwork.org, is a place you can connect with people, resources, and ideas to help you on your journey.
When in doubt, reach out to us
Feeling stuck? Fear not, caregiver! PacificSource Medicare has friendly, knowledgeable Customer Service Representatives and Member Support Specialists ready to help. We can assist with things like coordinating care, finding doctors or specialists, explaining coverage details, and much more.
You can learn about the support we offer in this short video. To get in touch with us, use the info on our Contact Us page.
We hope you find this information helpful. Caregivers are the unsung heroes of healthcare, and if we can make your life a little easier, we’re happy to do it.