@rebeccagrover His doctor is interpreting the HIPPA law incorrectly.

HIPAA regulates providers, not family members.
The issue is not HIPAA — it’s the clinic’s portal policy.
Every patient portal has a “Terms of Use” that says something like:
“The patient is responsible for keeping their login private.”
This is a clinic rule, not a federal law.

You are very unlikely to go to jail for using your husband’s patient portal to request a test if he gave you permission — but it can technically violate privacy laws or the clinic’s policies, and it can create problems if the clinic believes you were acting without his consent.

This is about policy and authorization, not criminal intent. In practice, criminal charges are extremely rare.

You’d typically see criminal cases only when:
- Someone accesses a portal to commit fraud
- Someone impersonates a patient to obtain controlled substances
- Someone accesses records maliciously

Requesting a test for your spouse, with no intent to deceive or harm, is not the kind of situation prosecutors pursue.

To avoid any future issues:

Have your husband log in and add you as an authorized proxy (every major system supports this)

Or call the clinic and say:
“My husband wants me to help manage his care. How do I get proxy access?”

Clinics deal with this constantly — spouses, adult children, caregivers — and they’ll set it up without judgment.