Florida Parents Need Medical Proxy for Adult Children
Once your child turns 18, hospitals require specific legal authorization for parents to access medical records.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Eldercare
In Florida, parents lose automatic legal authority to access medical updates or make healthcare decisions for their children as soon as they reach age 18. This legal independence created a tragic barrier for the family of University of Miami student Baylie Grogan, who was struck by a car in 2018.
Why it matters
Hospitals restrict medical information access for incapacitated adults to those with formal legal authorization to comply with privacy regulations. Without these documents, parents may be unable to receive critical status updates during a medical emergency.
Adults age 18 and older are legally independent, meaning parents must obtain healthcare surrogate and HIPAA authorization forms to receive medical updates. Completing this documentation takes approximately 5 minutes and requires the presence of two witnesses.
The players
Baylie Grogan
A University of Miami pre-med student who died following a 2018 car accident.
The details
Healthcare providers cannot share information about incapacitated adults without formal legal standing. To ensure access, parents should have their adult children complete healthcare surrogate and HIPAA authorization forms. These documents authorize medical staff to share private health information and allow parents to step in for necessary decisions if a child is unable to communicate.
Timeline
2018: Baylie Grogan was struck by a car in an accident.
The Home Front
This requirement aligns with the privacy protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which limits access to medical records once a child reaches legal adulthood. It marks a critical departure from the parental rights held when children are minors.
If you have a child who is 18 or older, discuss the importance of signing a healthcare surrogate and HIPAA authorization form before they head to college or move out. Keep a digital and physical copy of these signed and witnessed documents in a secure location where you can access them quickly.
The takeaway
The transition to adulthood creates a significant legal gap in medical privacy that can leave parents uninformed during emergencies. Families should prioritize completing legal proxy documentation as part of the standard transition to adulthood for any child turning 18.
Further reading
Learn more about securing legal access to family health records in our Eldercare section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm.
