They certainly can, but with a little assistance from your loved one, it doesn’t have to be an obstacle. You’ve probably heard of HIPAA — the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act — designed to protect medical information. It can be a barrier for caregivers but not after your granted access to the record. Most doctors have standard HIPAA forms that loved ones can fill out to allow caregivers access to their medical information. It’s a good idea to take care of HIPAA permissions before they’re even needed so they’re in place if an urgent need arises and to protect against complications if the loved one becomes incapable of allowing access.