Medicare Authorization Form: How to Talk to Medicare for Your Parent
The forms that let Medicare, Social Security, doctors and banks talk to you about your parent, and which one fixes which problem.
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To talk to 1-800-MEDICARE about your parent, your parent signs Form CMS-10106, the Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information, and submits it through their Medicare.gov account or by mail. Medicare Advantage and drug plans, Social Security, doctors and banks each have their own rules, so expect a separate form or call for each.
We're not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice. Rules vary by state, agency and company. For a power of attorney, or if you're unsure whether your parent can still sign documents, talk with an elder law attorney.
You're on hold with Medicare for 40 minutes to ask why your dad's claim was denied. When someone finally answers, they're polite and firm: they can't discuss his account with you. Your dad is sitting right next to you, but he's hard of hearing and gets flustered on the phone. You hang up with nothing. Almost every caregiver hits this wall, and it isn't personal. The same privacy rules protect your parent from scammers. The fix is a handful of forms, signed while your parent is able to sign them. Here's which form does what.
Medicare: Form CMS-10106
By law, 1-800-MEDICARE needs your parent's permission in writing before it can share their information with anyone else. The form is called the Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information, and it takes about 15 minutes. Here's what your parent fills in:
- Their name, Medicare number, date of birth and address.
- The people who can get their information. There's room for two, and more can be listed on the back.
- What can be shared: any information, or only certain types, like eligibility, claims, health and drug plan enrollment, or premium payments.
- How long it lasts: indefinitely, or between two dates.
- A reason. "At my request" is fine.
- Their signature and the date.
How to submit it, and what it does
The fastest way is online: your parent logs in to their secure Medicare account online and submits the form there. You can sit with them and help with the typing. Otherwise, mail the signed form to 1-800-MEDICARE Written Authorization Dept., PO Box 1270, Desmond, KS 66044. Your parent can cancel the permission at any time by writing to the same address. Questions go to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
If your parent can no longer sign, a personal representative, such as someone named in a power of attorney, can sign instead and attach a copy of the paperwork. Here's how the four power of attorney documents work.
Two limits to know. The form lets Medicare share information with you, so you can ask about claims, bills and coverage. It doesn't make you your parent's decision-maker. And if you need to file an appeal for your parent, Medicare uses a different form, the Appointment of Representative (CMS-1696). If the confusing part is the claims statement itself, here's what a Medicare EOB means.
Medicare Advantage, drug plans and supplements
Form CMS-10106 covers 1-800-MEDICARE only. If your parent has a Medicare Advantage plan, a Part D drug plan or a Medigap policy, those are private companies with their own privacy rules. Call the member services number on each card with your parent on speakerphone. Ask whether your parent can give permission on the call, and how to add you to the account for good. Many plans use their own authorization form, so ask them to send it.
Every one of these calls goes better with notes. Write down the date, who you spoke to, what they said and the next step on the call notes sheet in your Survival Guide, one page per company, so you're not starting from scratch when someone says "we never received that."
Your parent can read Form CMS-10106 to Tiina, or share a photo of it, and hear what each part is asking for in plain words, as many times as they need. Then they fill it in and sign it themselves.
Social Security
Social Security works differently. If you need records about your parent, like a benefit verification letter or a payment history, your parent can sign Form SSA-3288, Consent for Release of Information. You must list exactly what information to release, since Social Security won't honor requests for "any and all records." Social Security has to receive the signed form within a year of the date your parent signs it, or within 90 days if it covers medical records, and unless your parent writes in a time frame, it's treated as a one-time request, according to Social Security's consent rules. So don't sign it until you're ready to send it.
If your parent can no longer manage their benefits, you need to become their representative payee, which means Social Security sends the payments to you to use for your parent's needs. A power of attorney doesn't do this. Social Security's payee FAQ is clear that the Treasury doesn't recognize a power of attorney for federal payments, so even an agent under a POA has to apply. Call 1-800-772-1213 to start. Your parent can also name up to three people in advance who could serve as payee if it's ever needed.
Doctors, hospitals and pharmacies
Federal privacy rules are looser here than most families think. According to HHS, a doctor or pharmacy may share information with family members who are involved in a patient's care if the patient says it's okay, doesn't object, or isn't able to say and sharing seems to be in their best interest. But the rule doesn't require them to share, unless you're your parent's legal personal representative.
So make it easy for them. Ask your parent to tell each doctor's office, out loud, that you're allowed to talk with them, and to sign the office's release form so it's in the chart. Ask about proxy access to the patient portal, which lets you see test results and send messages. A health care proxy matters for the moments your parent can't speak for themselves, and here's what that form needs.
Banks, brokerages and everyday bills
Banks have their own rules, too. If your parent has a power of attorney, take it to each bank before you need to use it, because banks often want to review it first, and some ask for their own form. Here's what to do if a bank won't accept a power of attorney. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes free guides for people acting under a power of attorney, and they're worth reading before you take over anyone's money.
For investment accounts, ask your parent to add you as a trusted contact person. According to an investor bulletin from the SEC, FINRA and state regulators, the brokerage can then call you if it can't reach your parent or suspects fraud. It doesn't give you any power over the account, which makes it an easy yes for most parents.
Utilities, phone companies and credit card issuers vary. Call each one with your parent and ask how to add you as an authorized person on the account.
Do it all in one afternoon
The best time to get these permissions is before you need them, while your parent can sign easily and isn't in a crisis. Sit down together with their cards and a cup of coffee. Submit the Medicare form online first, then call each plan on speakerphone and ask for its authorization form. Stop by or call each doctor's office and the pharmacy. Add yourself as a trusted contact at the brokerage, and start the bank's power of attorney review if your parent has one. Keep copies in one folder and a photo of each in your phone.
Then put a reminder on your calendar to check them once a year. Plans change, offices switch systems, and some permissions expire.
Medicare talks to you now. Dad still understands every letter himself.
With the permission on file, the next notice from Medicare or Social Security doesn't sit unopened. He reads it to Tiina, hears what it says in plain words and decides whether it's worth a call to you.
Try Tiina with Dad →Frequently Asked Questions
Methodology & editorial policy
Reviewed and updated October 31, 2026 by the Tiina Editorial Team. Facts, programs and prices in this guide come from the sources listed below.
About composite scenarios. The opening scene is a composite.
About Tiina. Tiina is a voice-first AI companion for older adults: an app for iPhone and iPad that your parent opens whenever they want someone to talk to, day or night.
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Sources. 9 references: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare.gov, Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FINRA, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.View all
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Form CMS-10106: Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information. cms.gov
- Medicare.gov. Other forms. medicare.gov
- Medicare.gov. Appeals forms. medicare.gov
- Social Security Administration. Form SSA-3288: Consent for Release of Information. ssa.gov
- Social Security Administration. POMS GN 03305.003: Consent Documents. secure.ssa.gov
- Social Security Administration. Frequently Asked Questions for Representative Payees. ssa.gov
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Family Members and Friends (HIPAA). hhs.gov
- FINRA. Investor Bulletin: Why You Should Consider Adding a Trusted Contact to Your Account. finra.org
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Managing someone else's money. consumerfinance.gov
