Is it just me.....

When my father was in an unexpected accident and placed on a vent in Wichita, I lived in KC. I didn't hear about the accident until 4 hours after it happened. When I finally got a hold of the hospital he was at, the nurse asked "which daughter is this?".

I am the ONLY daughter...and the durable power of attorney be default.

The kicker is that whomever called claiming to be "his daughter", made some medical decisions over the phone. He was made a full code, to which I had to reverse when I got to the hospital, and a couple other small things which I straightened out. I suspect it was one of my aunts that did it, but to this day, no one is 100% sure. My father passed away 10 years ago on this very day.

I had a HUGE case against the hospital, but I chose not to file. The decisions made fraudulently did not have any effect on his care, and was caught early enough, so action wasn't needed. However, the nurses and doctors in the ICU learned a very valuable experience that day.

I now work in a hospital myself, and I have felt the full effect of HIPAA. I do agree that it is taken too far in a lot of cases, but overall, I think it is a god thing...and long overdue. HIPAA exists to protect people like my father and myself.

YIKES!!!!!