Medicare 2026

How to Get Permission to Talk to Medicare for a Parent or Spouse

If you help a parent or spouse manage their Medicare, you've probably hit this wall: you call 1-800-MEDICARE with a question, and the representative can't tell you anything. That's not a mistake. By law, Medicare can't share someone's personal health information with anyone else — even a close family member — unless the person with Medicare has given permission. The good news is that permission is straightforward to set up, and once it's in place, you can handle calls, questions, and paperwork much more smoothly.

Here's what to know.

Why permission is required

Medicare's caregiver guidance is clear: 1-800-MEDICARE can share a family member's personal health information with you only if that family member gives verbal permission while you're on the phone, or has already added you as an authorized representative in writing. There's no workaround — this is a federal privacy rule.

That means your first decision is whether you want permission just for a single call, or something more lasting.

Option 1: Verbal permission on a single call

If your parent or spouse is able to get on the phone with you, the simplest path is to call 1-800-MEDICARE together. They can tell the representative they're giving permission for you to be part of the conversation, and the representative can then speak with you during that call. This is useful for one-off questions but doesn't carry over to future calls.

Option 2: Written authorization (Form CMS-10106)

For ongoing help, the person with Medicare completes the Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information, known as Form CMS-10106. On the form, they:

• Name who may receive their information (up to two people or organizations on the front, with room for more on the back).
• Choose whether 1-800-MEDICARE may share any information, or only limited categories — such as Medicare eligibility, claims, health and drug plan enrollment, or premium payments.
• Choose whether the permission lasts indefinitely or only between specific start and end dates.

If someone is signing as a personal representative (for example, under a power of attorney), they must attach paperwork showing they have authority to act for the person.

The person with Medicare can change or cancel the authorization at any time by writing to the address on the form. Information already released under the original permission isn't affected by a later cancellation.

Fastest route: If your family member completes the authorization online inside their secure Medicare.gov account, you can call and speak on their behalf immediately. If the paper form is mailed in instead, you generally have to wait a few weeks before Medicare will talk with you.

Option 3: Add yourself as a representative in the Medicare.gov account

Medicare's April 2025 caregiver fact sheet explains that, with the person's permission, a caregiver can log in to (or help create) the person's secure Medicare.gov account and add a representative. The steps:

1. Sign in and select Edit my account settings. 2. Under My representatives, choose Manage My Representatives. 3. Select Add Representative and complete the information.

The person with Medicare can edit a representative's access at any time.

Talking with the doctor is different

Many caregivers also want to understand a parent's diagnosis or treatment plan. A doctor may discuss a patient's condition or treatment directly with a family caregiver during a medically necessary appointment — even if the patient isn't present — as long as the patient has given the doctor permission. The doctor can't bill Medicare or the patient separately for that time, because Part B payment for the visit already includes it.

Appeals and grievances use a different form

Permission to talk with 1-800-MEDICARE is not the same as appointing someone to file or pursue a claim, appeal, or grievance. For that, use the Appointment of Representative form, CMS-1696. Once both the person with Medicare and the representative sign it, the appointment is valid for one year and can be used for other appeals during that year. Unless it's revoked, the appointment lasts for the duration of the specific claim, appeal, grievance, or request it was filed for.

A few practical tips

• Set it up before you need it. The time to establish permission isn't during a billing emergency. Doing it now means a smoother call later.
• Decide how much access makes sense. Some families are comfortable with full access; others prefer to limit it to, say, claims or premium questions.
• Keep a copy. Hold on to the signed form (or a screenshot of the confirmation) so you can reference it if a call center representative isn't sure your permission is on file.
• Watch for scams. Scammers sometimes target caregivers and older adults. The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program publishes free fraud-prevention resources that can help you recognize common tactics.

A note on timing and plan decisions

A lot of caregiver calls happen around Annual Enrollment — October 15 through December 7, 2026, for coverage that takes effect January 1, 2027. Having your authorization in place before that window opens makes it much easier to ask Medicare questions on your family member's behalf.

Also keep in mind that program figures change year to year. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400 in 2027 (up from $2,100 in 2026), and no Part D plan may charge a deductible higher than $700 in 2027. The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, along with the income-related (IRMAA) brackets, haven't been announced yet — CMS typically releases those in the fall.

Where to go next

For the authorization forms, the online account tools, and the latest caregiver fact sheet, go to Medicare.gov. To speak with a representative, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you suspect fraud or a scam targeting your family member, the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) offers free educational resources.

A little paperwork up front can save hours of frustration later — and it lets you focus on actually helping the person you love.