Power of Attorney and Medicare: What Family Caregivers Need to Know

Level One: Verbal Permission, One Call at a Time

If your parent can join the call, the simplest option is for her to give verbal permission at the start: she confirms her identity, tells the representative you're allowed to participate, and the conversation proceeds with you on the line. This works for one-off questions, but the permission generally applies to that call only — next month's question means another three-way call.

Level Two: The Medicare Authorization Form (CMS-10106)

For ongoing help, Medicare has a standing authorization form — the 'Medicare Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information,' form CMS-10106. Your parent completes it once, naming you and choosing what Medicare may discuss with you and for how long. After it's on file, you can call Medicare about her coverage without her on the line.

Two important boundaries: the form lets Medicare share information with you, but it does not let you make decisions, change plans, or sign enrollments on her behalf. And it only covers Medicare itself — private plans (Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap carriers) each have their own authorization processes, so ask each plan for its version too.

Level Three: Power of Attorney and Legal Representation

When a parent needs someone to actually act for them — make coverage decisions, sign enrollment paperwork, manage appeals — families move to legal authority: most commonly a durable power of attorney (POA), or in some situations court-appointed guardianship. With the right POA in place, you can generally do on your parent's behalf what she could do herself, including working with Medicare and with a licensed agent.

Setting up a POA is a legal matter with real stakes, and the details vary by state — Wyoming and Utah each have their own requirements. This article is education, not legal advice: a qualified elder-law attorney is the right person to draft the document. One practical note echoed by nearly every family who has been through this: it is far easier to set up a POA while your parent can still participate in the decision than after a crisis makes it urgent.

A Separate Wrinkle: Social Security Is Its Own System

Families are often surprised that a POA isn't automatically honored by the Social Security Administration for managing benefit payments. Social Security uses its own arrangement — the representative payee program — for someone to manage a beneficiary's payments. If your caregiving includes handling the Social Security income that pays Medicare premiums, plan for that appointment separately through SSA.

How This Works When You Sit Down With an Agent

Working with a licensed insurance agent is the easy part: with your parent's consent, family members are welcome in every conversation — no forms needed for you to listen, ask questions, and help compare. The parent makes the final decision and signs, unless a legal representative signs for her.

If your parent is in the early stages of memory loss, the ordering matters enormously: authorization first, decisions second. Get the legal groundwork in place while she can participate, and everything afterward — plan reviews, enrollment changes, appeals — stays smooth. Our guide for adult children and caregivers covers the broader family playbook, and if you want to talk through your family's specific situation, reach out any time — the conversation is free and there's no obligation.