I have a medical POA. Can I use that to get the doctor to tell me my Mom's blood test results?

Present the original signed and witnessed POA at the MD office and ask for a copy of the results. Better yet, make an appointment with the MD to discuss them.

It is my thought that the dr. might not want to do this (dr. giving me a copy of the lab results) as they might not get paid by medicare for a dr. appt.
Just a thought that crossed my mind..........comments?
cadams

Just as I thought......the dr. refused to give me the lab work results without my 96 yr. old mom being there for the dr. appt. even though I have medical POA and am listed in her file as mom giving them permission to talk to me. The dr. assistant said the dr. wanted to examine my mom and that the POA was for a hospital setting. Since when does a person have to be examined after a blood test? This still feels to me like it's all about money.....like she can charge Medicare an exhorbitant fee for the dr. visit....but with me just being there to get the results......she wouldn't get the fee......even though I said I would be happy to discuss with the dr. at todays scheduled appt. Feedback please...... I hate to get another dr. but feel I have no choice here.....cadams

I have never ran into that with any doctor. As long as you are listed as a person that can contacted and have access to the medical file information on the permission form (must be updated once a year), all you should have to do is call to get information.

So now what? I am boiling mad and not the most rational when angry.........
cadams

Can mom call and ask for the results to be mailed? Can some other old lady call and say she is mom?

To Chicago1954---that sounds like a possible solution, but I don't think they would go for that either. For some reason, they were very stubborn in wanting her there. I just don't think this is even legal. What could be my recourse? It feels like power and control.........cadams

It may be power and control issues. It may be about money. Or the blood test results may suggest a possibility that needs further checking. Maybe the results aren't something that should be passed along over the phone.

Can your mother sign a letter requesting a copy of her lab results be mailed to her? They are hers and she is entitled to them. They may not be easy for her to interpret, though.

If I were you I'd make an appointment for Mom to be seen by the doctor and I'd accompany her. I do understand that it can be very difficult to get a bed-bound person to an appointment, though. Does she use a wheelchair? Would a medical transport van make things possible? Ask the assistant how best to bring Mom in.

After that appointment I'd evaluate if it makes sense to stick with this doctor.

The awesome geriatrician who cared for my mother and my husband was very conscious of the difficulty of bringing impaired elders to the clinic and she was super about doing many things over the phone -- we got lots of her attention without her being able to bill for it!

Is this a doctor you've been using for a while or is it a new one. Usually if you have an established relationship, you can get by with things.

My mom isn't bed bound, but she sleeps a lot. It is very difficult to get her out of bed, dressed and anywhere for an appointment. I always have to allow twice as much time as I think I need because of the variables. She uses a wheel chair when we get out.

However, this is the way we have always done her doctor's appointments. I take her in a week early for nothing but a blood draw and urinalysis. She fasts for that and we eat breakfast at IHOP before going home. Then the following week we have the actual check up and go over the lab results. I make that appointment for the afternoon so that I have all morning to get her going. It's a pain, but it's only every 6 months. And I get to go over with the doctor the medicines and any changes and questions that I have. They give me a copy of the lab report for my records. I don't know how I'll do it if she becomes bed bound. I guess I'll have to have more help then.

Remember when doctor's made house calls? Sometimes I wish Dr. Welby was real.

This fiasco is not over with the former dr. and in fact, seems to be getting worse. I DID end up getting a new doctor for mom as the former dr. would NOT release the lab work results to me even though I have a POA and am listed in mom's files as someone they can discuss her health issues. It is now 4 months later and the former dr. still has not released mom's file to the new dr. I signed paperwork at the new dr. office for the former dr. to send new dr. mom's files. They did not do this and are wanting mom's signature, so I sent new paperwork with mom's signature. Still, no files sent. In addition, they are taking the position that they are still mom's current dr. and giving orders to renew certification for an on call agency and then billing medicare for this. I called them to STOP doing this as they are NOT mom's dr. anymore and they argued they never got anything on this and hung up on me. At this point I am wanting to report them to the medical board. Any ideas? cadams

Your state health department should have a HIPAA complaint line or online complaint form. The new MD can order new lab tests too.

Thanks. We did get new lab tests for mom with the new dr. and they actually were just fine, so I don't get why the medical asst. of the former dr. was giving me such a hard time in releasing the results and continues to do so. I will check out the HIPAA complaint line and see what I can do here. Again....thanks. I've NEVER seen anything like this happen before. cadams