Q&A: Providing a doctor's note when caring for a sick child

Q: I work for a large company. I called out one day because my daughter was sick. Do I have to provide a doctor's note to my employer when I wasn't the actual patient? I’m not under my employer’s health plan.

A: Your employer has the right to establish its own policies regarding employee absences and return to work. This is not affected by HIPAA or your healthcare coverage. As an employee, you are expected to comply with your employer’s policies, and those policies may require you to provide written documentation of a doctor’s visit for your child if you missed work for it. The doctor’s office should provide this documentation on request and simply verify the date and time of your daughter’s appointment. The documentation should not include any information on her medical conditions.

Editor’s note: Question answered by Mary Brandt, a healthcare consultant specializing in healthcare regulatory compliance and operations improvement. This information does not constitute legal advice. Consult legal counsel for answers to specific privacy and security questions. Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent HCPro or ACDIS. Email your HIPAA questions to Associate Editor Heidi Samuelson at hsamuelson@hcpro.com.