As a caregiver there will almost certainly come a time when you will need to talk to someone with Medicare about a bill, or an incorrect ID number, or who knows what. If you are relying on the Medical Power of Attorney form your loved one signed, you will be out of luck. In  it's infinite wisdom, Medicare will not accept a standard Power of Attorney form. If you want to speak with a Medicare representative on behalf of someone else, either on the phone or in person, you will have to have on file a "Medicare Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information."

At least the Internet is making it a little easier to get our hands on these forms. You can open the "Medicare Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information," type in the information right online, and then print it out ready to be signed and mailed in to Medicare. Better yet, print out two copies, get both signed, and keep one in your file in case you might have to do it again.

I usually recommend that everyone who is signing up for Medicare at age 65 go ahead and prepare this document right then. We never know when we may have an accident or become ill, and then it's too late to get this form completed and on file with Medicare. Medicare moves slowly, and it can take several weeks to several months to get it "into the system." The best time to get these things done is before we need to. Your spouse, your best friend, or your grown child will appreciate that you did it, should the need ever arise.

After you've sent in this form, wait about 30 days and call Medicare - 1 (800) MEDICARE - to inquire whether they have you listed as an authorized person. If they do not, call every couple of weeks for another 30 days, and then give up and mail your second signed copy. Always keep a copy for yourself, of course.

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