1 /5 Ann Marie: I recently accompanied my younger sister to her orthodontic appointment as the responsible adult over the age of 21. I was joined by my husband, and we were there with full authorization from our mother, who works full-time and was unable to attend. She provided me with her insurance card and explicitly gave me permission to handle all matters related to the visit.
Despite having everything in order, I was treated by the staff as if I were a stranger with no right to be involved in her care. I was repeatedly asked to verify basic information, forced to make phone calls for confirmation, and ultimately had to interrupt my mother at work so she could send an email granting me access—despite already having done so verbally and through documentation.
While I fully understand the importance of HIPAA and patient privacy protocols, the level of inflexibility and lack of basic courtesy I experienced was unnecessary and frustrating. It felt as though the staff chose to ignore both common sense and the clear permissions I presented. The entire experience added unnecessary stress to an already busy day and left me deeply disappointed with the way I was treated.
