legal for doctor to make someone forge signature?
ByQuestion: I am currently deployed. My wife is pregnant. She returned to our home state during my deployment (we were in Europe) so she have family and friends nearby when the baby’s born.
My wife went to the doctor’s for her 20 week prenatal care appointment. When she was in with the doctor getting her prenatal care, some nurse or whatever called her father (who is 70 yrs old) to come into the doctor’s office and forge my signature as the baby’s father. My wife has power of attorney to sign any document to represent me as the baby’s father. They didn’t even ask my wife, nor did they tell her that they were calling her father in.
She found out a few days later when her dad told her (her dad doesn’t have great memory).
Now they won’t even show her the document, nor will they show her dad the document that he signed.
My wife’s pissed (at Lamprey Health Care), and so am I.
Is there any legal action that can be taken?
(FYI My wife doesn’t go to that doctor’s office anymore)
4 Comments
December 26th, 2009 at 2:37 am
Obviously this is completely illegal and I would have your wife go to the military’s legal aid or counsel.
December 26th, 2009 at 2:49 am
I’m not sure of legal action, but there are a lot of resources to launch complaints against doctors. She can call your county health resources, state licensing board, and and Tricare (I’m assuming…) to launch a complaint. If her father was called in without her knowledge and her listing him as someone with whom the doctor could share her medical info, the doctor has violated HIPAA laws…as well as commiting fraud. Good luck, and way to keep an eye out for your wife’s care!
December 26th, 2009 at 2:57 am
There is always legal recourse however there is a possibility that they may take their own action on her father. Tell her to contact an attorney asap and find out what actions are available to her in the state. Thats a form of malpractice.
December 26th, 2009 at 3:23 am
of course it is illegal, any forgery of any signature is illegal. if she has power of attorney to sign for you they shouldve just had her sign it. Get a lawyer involved if you want, if they are doing that no telling what they are doing to other patients!!! Im glad she changed dr’s too!!!