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| What is a HIPAA Authorization Form? |
| Introduction |
| When your lawyer prepares your estate planning documents, he/she might prepare a HIPAA Authorization Form for you, along with your main Trust document, and other power of attorney documents that come as a set with your estate planning documents.
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| What is HIPAA (or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)? |
| The HIPAA (or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) provides standards by which health care professionals must protect PHI (or protected health information) of their patients. This rule regulates permissible health information use and disclosure, such as to whom information can be imparted and under what situations PHI can be disclosed.
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| Purpose of HIPAA Authorization Form |
A HIPAA Authorization form provides consent to a healthcare professional to disclose PHI to certain people, that would otherwise not be allowed under HIPAA rules. Without such authorization, a disclosure of PHI could violate HIPAA rules, or even subject a health care professional to a criminal offense.
When your lawyer drafts your estate planning documents, including a Trust, he/she might also prepare a HIPAA Authorization Form, together with your Health Care Power of Attorney and Durable Power of Attorney. By signing this form, you can give authorization to your healthcare professionals to release your PHI to certain authorized recipients in certain situations such as for example, for the purpose of having them facilitate decisions regarding your healthcare when you become incompetent.
The HIPAA Authorization Form can include the following information including A) Name(s) of health care professionals to whom your PHI can be disclosed; B) Name(s) of individuals, such as any of your family members, who can receive your PHI; C) Description of the PHI that you authorize to be disclosed or shared, and etc.
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| Conclusion |
| As you might need a family member to speak to a health care professional on your behalf to facilitate medical decisions and/or treatments when you are not able to because you are too ill and cannot make your own decisions, the HIPAA document is an important document that you can ask your lawyer to prepare for you together with your other estate planning documents. |
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| I started a podcast for the Hongo Law Office, LLLC! |
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I started a podcast for the Hongo Law Office, LLLC!
While I will mainly discuss estate planning/administration issues by myself each month, I also welcome guests on my podcast. I am now inviting anyone to be on my show. Please email me at yuka.hongo12@gmail.com if any of you might be interested in appearing as a guest on my show!
In this episode we speak to Ikuko Sano, a lawyer living and working in San Diego, California. Ikuko speaks about her path to founding her own estate planning practice including becoming a "homeless lawyer" after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Ikuko is a tenacious and courageous lawyer who loves to spend her free time enjoying outdoor activities such as scuba diving and golf. She even inspired me to think about giving scuba diving a try here in Hawaii. We hope you will enjoy this episode and hear about the difference between how estate planning is typically approached in Japan and the US.
Episode Link |
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| Client Comments |
| "Lawyers in the U.S. can be difficult to talk to at times, but I think people find it easy to talk to Ms. Hongo. I also like the fact that Ms. Hongo follows up with her clients on a timely basis." |
| Sachiko Trillo, Honolulu |
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| "Hongo Tsuji Tax & Consulting, our accounting firm, introduced me to Ms. Hongo. I consulted her with regards to estate planning, and I appreciated the fact that she took care of our documents in a timely manner." |
| K.A., Tokyo |
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| "I appreciated Ms. Hongo's professional expertise and the kind way in which she took care of our matter. I am truly happy that she helped us." |
| Mitsuko Seto, Osaka |
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| "Ms. Hongo not only prepared my trust, but also took care of legal matters involving my company. Her fee is reasonable and she follows up with you in a timely manner." |
| S. Suzuki, Company Owner |
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| "Ms. Hongo took care of our matter in a kind manner. We liked the fact that her office was located in Waikiki, near our home." |
| Sugiyama, Waikiki |
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| "I became a successor to 2 condominiums that my wife owned in Hawaii, after my wife passed away. Ms. Hongo took care of our probate matter in a short timeframe of 1 year. We feel very grateful to her." |
| Shuichi Sakamoto, Nasu |
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| "Our clients were very satisfied with Ms. Hongo's service because she was able to explain matters such as probate in an easy-to-understand manner. Ms. Hongo is someone we can rely on for any matter." |
| Noboru Ohhashi, List Sotheby's, Tokyo |
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| "Given that the U.S. real estate recording process and its pertaining laws differ from those of Japan, and it is difficult to learn about them in English, I appreciated Ms. Hongo being able to explain them to me in an understandable manner. I would like to seek her help in the future for other matters." |
| K. Iwasaki, Honolulu |
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| "Ms. Hongo helped me with the estate planning for my real estate in Hawaii. I was glad she was able to help me during her visit in Japan." |
| S.T., Kawasaki |
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| "It was our long-term goal to prepare a trust for our family. We are now able to take the next step in our lives, as Ms. Hongo applied her proficient bilingual skills to efficiently take care of our matter. We are very grateful for what she did for us." |
| A.P., Honolulu |
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| Attorney Yuka Hongo has been included as an honored listee in Marquis Who's Who for 2024. Marquis has chronicled the lives of accomplished individuals and innovators since 1898. |
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| Hongo Law Office LLLC is proud to have been acknowledged as one of the "Best Probate Attorneys in Honolulu for 2025" by Expertise.com. |
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| Attorney Yuka Hongo has been named a 2025 Elite Lawyer in the area of Estate Planning in Hawaii. The award recognizes attorneys who have displayed a high level of competence in their practice. |
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| You're invited to call or email |
"If you have questions about estate planning and administration, please don't hesitate to call. I'll be glad to hear from you." – Yuka
Call (808) 237-9944 or email yuka.hongo12@gmail.com |
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| Meet Yuka Hongo, Esq. |
| Yuka Hongo is a respected estate planning attorney based in Honolulu, Hawaii. She has practiced law for 10 years and is fluent in both English and Japanese. |
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Practice Areas: Yuka represents clients in matters related to estate planning such as the preparation of Trusts, Wills, and the Transfer on Death Deed. She also provides services in the area of estate administration, including probate.
Education: In 2000, Yuka graduated from Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and East Asian Studies. In 2004, she graduated from Loyola Law School (Los Angeles, CA), where she earned her Juris Doctor Degree. In 2022, Yuka graduated from Keio University (Tokyo, Japan) where she earned a Master of Laws Degree.
Court Admissions and Bar Memberships: Yuka is a member of the Hawaii, California, the District of Columbia Bar, and New York Bar Associations. Yuka is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Hawaii Tax Institute Program.
Additional Qualifications: Yuka is a Certifying Acceptance Agent who can obtain the ITIN tax number for foreigners in the U.S. In addition, she is a Life Insurance Agent and a licensed Notary Public in the State of Hawaii. Also, Yuka is fully bilingual in Japanese and English and has in-depth legal work experience working with both languages.
Multicultural Background: Yuka has experience living and working in both the U.S. and Japan and has a thorough understanding of both cultures in these two countries. In addition, she loves working with people from other multicultural backgrounds and working on international matters.
Educational Presentations: Yuka has presented seminars in Japan and in the U.S. relating to various estate planning/estate administration issues.
Residence & Interests: Yuka lives in Honolulu, Hawaii and is single. She enjoys scoping out new eateries and restaurants. |
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