• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Unsworth LaPlante, PLLC

Vermont Estate Planning Attorneys

Vermont: (802) 879-7133

Attend A Free Workshop
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Meet Our Team
    • What to Expect When Working with Us
  • Services
    • Estate Planning
    • Incapacity Planning
    • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Medicaid Planning & Elder Law
    • Pet Planning
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Young Families Planning
  • Resources
    • Articles
    • Elder Law Reports
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Burlington
      • Montpelier
      • Rutland
      • St. Johnsbury
      • White River Junction
    • Estate And Gift Tax Figures
    • Free Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate and Gift Tax
      • Estate Planning
      • FAQs for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Incapacity Planning
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicaid
      • Pet Planning
      • Special Needs Planning
      • Trust Administration
      • Trusts
      • Wills
    • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Medicaid Resources
      • Medicaid Analysis Worksheet
      • Medicaid Guide
      • Vermont Medicaid
    • Newsletters
    • Presentations
    • Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning for Niches
    • SECURE Act
    • Top Estate Planning Techniques
  • Webinars/Seminars
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • BLOG
  • Contact
Home » HIPAA: The Number One Missed Step in Today’s Estate Plan

HIPAA: The Number One Missed Step in Today’s Estate Plan

December 26, 2013 by Stephen Unsworth

You have already created an estate plan and everything is in place, but most likely your estate plan is missing a very important document: the HIPAA Authorization. In 2003, Congress created a policy referred to as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. With this Act, your personal health information can no longer be released by health professionals and insurance companies without your direct consent. So how does this affect your estate?

When you create a Will and Trust you do so to protect your estate, but also protect yourself if something happens to your health down the road. Though your Advance Directives are created and you have listed an executor and caretaker, if you do not have an HIPAA Authorization in your estate planning documents, that individual will not be able to receive health information from your physician. Worse, if you are injured without a loved one present, physicians cannot contact your loved ones and notify them over the phone of your injury.

Without the HIPAA Authorization physicians are unable to retrieve valuable healthcare information, including drug allergies and past medical histories, which can be a life-threatening situation.

Therefore, look through your Advance Medical Directives and make sure you have a HIPAA Authorization form filled out. If not, make an appointment with an estate planning attorney today!

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stephen Unsworth
Stephen Unsworth
Stephen A. Unsworth is admitted to practice in both Vermont and Maine, and has more than 30 years of experience in estate planning and business law. His mission is to provide quality estate planning services, including assistance with Living Trusts, Wills, Medicaid Planning, Probate, Trust Administration, Powers of Attorney, Special Needs Planning, and Family Limited Partnerships.
Stephen Unsworth
Latest posts by Stephen Unsworth (see all)
  • Trustee Discretion – How to Avoid Too Much or Too Little - June 28, 2022
  • Am I Required to Accept an Inheritance? - June 16, 2022
  • How Do I Choose the Right Trustee? - June 9, 2022

Filed Under: General

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Essex Junction estate planning attorney
What Can I Do to Discourage a Will Contest after I Am Gone?
Essex Junction estate planning attorney
Am I Required to Accept an Inheritance?
Essex Junction estate planning attorney
Why Do I Need an Advance Directive?
Essex Junction probate attorneys
What Assets Avoid Probate?
Essex Junction estate planning attorney
What Should Be Included in My Estate Plan?
Essex Junction trust administration attorneys
Can a Trustee Be Fired?

Primary Sidebar

Elder Law and Medicaid Planning Attorneys

Unsworth LaPlante, PLC

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHEET

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Essex Junction, VT

26 Railroad Ave
Essex Junction, VT 05452
United States (US)
Phone: (802) 879-7133
Fax: (802) 879-0408

Map

unsworth_sidbr_map

Office Hours

Monday8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Footer

footer-logo
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

The information on this Vermont Attorneys & Lawyers / Law Firm website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Site Map | Powered by American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys

© 2022 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.