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CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES

Information Caregivers Can Use on:

Speaking with a Friend or Family Member’s

Doctor During an Office Visit

As a caregiver, there may be times when you need to talk to a doctor or other

healthcare provider about your friend or family member’s condition and

treatment plan during an office visit. For example, the person you’re caring for

may become nervous or upset during the doctor visit. Or, you might have

questions about his or her care. In these cases, it may be easier for you to talk to

the doctor alone.

Am I able to speak with a doctor about the person

that I’m caring for? 

As long as the person you’re caring for does not object, the doctor can speak to

you about their care. The doctor may ask for permission from the person you’re

caring for. Or, if the person you’re caring for can’t give permission, the doctor may

decide that it’s in their best interest to speak to you without getting permission.

Check with the doctor’s office for more information.

If I speak to the doctor alone, will Medicare help pay

for this? 

During a face-to-face, medically-necessary office visit, your friend or family

member’s doctor can spend time talking with you about the condition and/or

treatment plan, even if your friend or family member isn’t in the room. The office

visit payment under Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) includes payment for

the time that the doctor spends talking with you. This means that the doctor can’t

bill Medicare or your friend or family member separately for the time you talked.
Pu

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blication No. CMS-110

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For More Information

Medicare has several resources for caregivers and people with Medicare:

• “Ask Medicare” Web site

“Ask Medicare” is Medicare’s premier Web site for caregivers. Visit

www.medicare.gov/caregivers to help the person you’re caring for choose a drug

plan, compare nursing homes, get help with billing, find local care resources,

and more. From the Web site, you can sign up for Medicare’s free bi-monthly

e-Newsletter to get the latest information including important dates, changes

to Medicare, resources in your community, and tips to help you take care of

yourself and the person you’re caring for.

• 1-800-MEDICARE 

Medicare is here for you 24 hours a day, every day. Call 1-800-MEDICARE

(1-800-633-4227) to talk with a Medicare customer service representative.

TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.

Note: Medicare can't give personal health information unless the person you’re

caring for gives verbal permission while you’re on the telephone or has

submitted written authorization. It’s a good idea to have the person you’re

caring for fill out an authorization form in advance. He or she can do this in

the following ways:

– Fill out and submit an e-Authorization Form online by visiting

www.medicare.gov/MedicareOnlineForms. If the person you’re caring for is

having difficulty completing the form online, he or she can call 

1-800-MEDICARE and ask the customer service representative to help

submit the form electronically while on the phone. Filling out the form

online lets you immediately call and speak on behalf of the person you’re

caring for.

– Download and complete a PDF version of the Standard Authorization form

by visiting www.medicare.gov/MedicareOnlineForms. The person you’re

caring for can mail the completed, signed form to: Medicare BCC, Written

Authorization Department, PO Box 1270, Lawrence, KS 66044. You can

also have the person call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask the customer service

representative to help fill out the Standard Authorization form over the

phone. The customer service representative will mail the completed form to

the person you’re caring for to sign and return. Filling out the paper

authorization form takes more time and you will generally need to wait a

few weeks before you’re able to call and speak on his or her behalf.

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For More Information (continued)

• Medicare.gov

Visit www.medicare.gov to view the official U.S. Government Web site for

people with Medicare. It’s an easy-to-use, comprehensive resource. 

• MyMedicare.gov

Medicare’s secure online service for accessing your personal Medicare

information, www.MyMedicare.gov, is available 24 hours a day, every day. 

You can help the person you’re caring for register on the site. 

CMS Product No. 11441

January 2010

 No. CMS-11065

ember 2004