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                              FAQ
                              226-How does a covered entity identify an individual’s personal representative


    

    

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How does a covered entity identify an individual’s personal representative?








  
  
    

  
      





Answer:

State or other law determines who is authorized to act on an individual’s behalf, thus the Privacy Rule does not address how personal representatives should be identified. Covered entities should continue to identify personal representatives the same way they have in the past. However, the HIPAA Privacy Rule does require covered entities to verify a personal representative’s authority in accordance with 45 CFR 164.514(h).

Date Created: 12/19/2002

                    
  


Content created by Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Content last reviewed January 9, 2023Back to top
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