It’s easier than ever to manage your health care online, but things can get more complicated when you’re dealing with the care of a child, a family member or another person. In these situations, a health care proxy can be a highly effective tool to help you care for that person more effectively.
A health care proxy allows a person – called the proxy – to see the medical information of someone else through their own online account. With proxy access to another person’s information, it can be easier to assist in that person's care.
Health care proxy access can be set up between any two trusted people, and it’s most commonly used for family members. For example, a parent could be a proxy for their minor child. An adult could be a proxy for their spouse or if they're caring for an elderly parent.
Maintaining patient confidentiality is essential in health care. It builds trust between patient and provider, improves communication and gives patients more control over who has access to their medical information. With proxy access, only medical information is shared – you’re not able to see most insurance information beyond what’s on their insurance card. Proxy access can be revoked at any time by the person whose information is being shared (if that person is 18 years old or older).
What kind of patient information can someone with proxy access see online?
Proxies for patients 12 years old or younger can see almost everything about the minor’s medical information.
Proxies for patients who are 13 through 17 years old have a more restricted view of the minor’s medical information. Proxies for patients in this age range can:
- Schedule appointments for the patient
- Review immunization records
- Review certain test results (like COVID-19 tests, drive-up strep tests and drive-up flu tests)
- Review well-child and dental appointment details like the date, time and location
- Send and receive messages
- Review letters
Health care proxies of patients who are 18 or older can:
- Schedule appointments for the adult patient
- Review clinician notes and after-visit summaries
- View test results and immunizations
- Manage medications and medical history
How do health care proxies work at our care group?
We’ll walk you through the process to request or share health care proxy access at our clinics. These processes are unique to our organization. It’s important to note:
- At this time, we’re only able to share information about care received across our care group.
- If you don’t receive care with us, you’ll need to establish a medical record in our health system to become a proxy.
- If you’d like to set up proxy access to information about care received elsewhere, please contact the organization that provided care.
How do I request or share access to a health care proxy?
Across our care group, we’ve made it easy to establish a health care proxy once you sign in to your account. Once signed in, go to “Account settings.” Under “My proxy access,” you’ll see options for both child and adult. Click “Manage access” for the one that applies to your situation.
After that, the process varies depending on the age of the patient. For patients under 18, you can request access as the first step. But patients who are 18 or older must click “Invite someone” to send an email invitation to the person they’d like to be their proxy.
View our proxy access FAQs (PDF) for detailed instructions on how to request or share proxy access.
Why is a proxy’s view limited by default for patients who are 13 through 17 years old?
Parents or legal guardians have the right to see most of their teen’s health record and make medical decisions for them. We encourage teens to talk about their health with their parents or guardians, but by law, teens have the right to keep certain health care services confidential from their parents or guardians. These services may include pregnancy care, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, chemical dependency and mental health (at age 16 and up).
How can teens 13-17 years old share full proxy access?
Parents or legal guardians and teens can visit a HealthPartners clinic and request full proxy access from the front desk staff. If the teen supports granting full proxy access, the teen signs a consent form, and we adjust the proxy’s level of access. Teens who decide to create their own online account will be able to edit their existing proxy relationships digitally (from limited to full, full to limited).
Learn more about teen accounts and proxy access.
Can health care proxy access change or expire?
Yes, there are four ways proxy access can change or expire:
- Across our care group, proxy access will change the day before the minor turns 13 (for minors whose proxy was established when they were 12 years old or younger). On that day, proxy access will become more restricted as described above, to follow state and federal laws that protect teenagers’ privacy.
- If a minor aged 13 through 17 has shared full access with a parent or guardian and decides to withdraw it at any time, then the parent or guardian’s access would move back to a limited view.
- Proxy access will automatically end the day before a minor turns 18. An 18-year-old can share proxy access again by creating their own online account and using the “Invite someone” link to send an email invitation to the person they’d like to be their proxy.
- For patients 18 years old or older, proxy access automatically expires 10 years after it’s established. When proxy access expires, the patient can share proxy access again by using the “Invite someone” link in their online account. At any time, an adult patient with a proxy can withdraw that proxy’s access completely.
How do I revoke another person’s health care proxy access at HealthPartners and Park Nicollet?
Patients ages 18 and older can revoke proxy access at any time in their online account or by calling our web support team at 952-853-8888 or 877-726-0203 (toll free). We’re available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.
If you’re a patient between 13 and 17, and you’ve given a parent or guardian full access to your information, you can change it back to the limited access a proxy has by visiting your clinic.
How do I end my own proxy access to another person’s information at HealthPartners and Park Nicollet?
Proxies can end their access at any time in their online account or by calling our web support team at 952-853-8888 or 877-726-0203 (toll free). We’re available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.
Can multiple people have proxy access to a patient?
Yes, a patient can have more than one person as a proxy. Separate access requests must be submitted for each proxy.
Can someone have proxy access to multiple patients?
Yes, a person can act as a proxy for more than one patient. Separate access requests must be submitted for each patient.
For things like appointment reminders and alerts, will proxies get the same notifications patients do?
Not exactly. For patients 12 and under, proxies, not the patient, will get appointment reminders and alerts. For patients 13 through 17 years old, well-child and dental appointment reminders will be sent to proxies. Proxies of patients 18 and older will get the same reminders and alerts the patient does.
Can proxies see health insurance information?
No. HealthPartners members do not have the ability to request or share proxy access to their insurance information. But policyholders automatically have limited access to their child or adult dependent’s information, including:
- The ability to print and order ID cards for all dependents
- Full access to health plan claims for dependents 12 and younger
- Access to claim dates, total cost of services and amounts applied to the family’s deducible and out-of-pocket limits for dependents 13 and older (including adult dependents)
However, the provider and visit description are not available.
What if I have another question?
If you have other questions, we’re here to help.
Call our web support team at 952-853-8888 or 877-726-0203 (toll free). We’re available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.