Q: As the beneficiary of
As the beneficiary of a deceased insured, do I have the legal right to give the insurance company authorization to
Disclose the deceased, personal medical information? I am the deceased’s wife. They want me to sign a paper and give them that right. Is that legal for me to do? I did have power of attorney while he was alive.
A:
The Michigan statutes on decisions to be made regarding the body of a dead person use the term "next of kin" to refer to the class of persons who can make such decisions. As the widow, you would be the "next of kin". Therefore, you would be a person with authority to make decisions regarding medical information.
Please note that I have not thoroughly researched this issue.
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