Whitehouse seeks to ease access to records

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse last week introduced legislation that would allow family members to access a deceased relative’s Medicare and Medicaid records online with proper authorization, aiming to make it easier for families to deal with medical billing issues.
Under current law, family members can access a deceased relative’s Medicare records if they submit evidence that they are the decedent’s legal representative (for example, a court order appointing the relative as executor of the decedent’s estate).
Once authorized, however, a person can only get the records through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ 1-800 help line, not through the easier-to-use MyMedicare.gov site.
The Whitehouse bill would provide access to online Medicare records as well and apply the same provisions to any online Medicaid medical record systems.
“For family members struggling with the loss of a loved one, spending hours on the phone to settle billing issues is an unfair and unneeded burden,” Whitehouse said in a news release. “This legislation will simplify the final billing process and allow loved ones to spend more time on what’s important: grieving their loss and honoring the deceased.”
The bill was prompted by a letter from a Newport resident, Al Gauthier, who told the senator about his difficulties and frustrations dealing with Medicare after his mother’s death.
“Last year my mom was in and out of hospitals and nursing homes for three months before she passed away,” Gauthier wrote. “I opened an online Medicare account at the outset of her illness to track her medical bills to help my parents resolve them. Shortly after my mom’s passing the Medicare online account was closed without warning. I was unable to track the Medicare bills posted after her passing and some bills were passed to debt collectors.”
Whitehouse said he was glad Gauthier had reached out to him and vowed to “work hard to ensure that this common-sense legislation passes quickly.”