HIPPA exists for a reason

I’m on mobile so my bad at any mistakes also this call knocked the metaphorical wind out of me on how fast it all happened so wording is a bit off.

Background is I work at a health insurance company answering calls about benefits and claims. This conversation happened after the mom on a family plan called in asking about massage therapy and how that worked with her plan.

Mom: I have another question for you. Do you guys cover… Abortions?

(This is a regular thing people call about and I try not to make anyone feel uncomfortable for what they need)

Me: We do, they are considered just another surgery and these are your surgery benefits blah blah blah

Mom: Well how does it show up on an EOB (Explination of Benefits which is a breakdown of what your insurance covers. )

Me: To protect your privacy it wouldn’t say what you had done, just surgery but if you are worried about receiving a paper EOB you can always go online and get electronic ones instead.

Mom: I just ask cause a few months ago I got a strange EOB for my daughter and I asked her what she had done but she just said blood work but that just didn’t seem right…

At this point she is starting to cry and so many alarm bells are going off in my head because this is NOT where I thought this was going. The company I work for is based out of Washington state which has privacy laws starting at age 13 for kids so for anything sensitive we have to have something from thr child saying “yes my mom can ask about xyz” The only daughter on the plan is well over that age being a 25 year old adult and there is no authorization for mom on file.

Me: Well I wouldn’t be able to go over your daughter’s information without an auth-

Mom: She already told me, a few weeks ago she told me and my husband but she is a liar and I want this to be another one of her lies.

I thought my eyes would pop out of my skull at the absurdity of the conversation and how I did not want a crying mom on my phone asking this of all things. It took another 10 minutes for me to end the call letting her know how her daughter can give us authorization for us to speak to her… But it was one of the most uncomfortable experiences.