US Medical Term · regulatory
Personal Representative
Representante Personal
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Personal Representative |
| Spanish (Español) | Representante Personal |
| Chinese (中文) | 个人代理人 |
| Korean (한국어) | 개인 대리인 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Người Đại diện Cá nhân |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Personal na Kinatawan |
| Portuguese (Português) | Representante Pessoal |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ตัวแทนส่วนบุคคล |
| Japanese (日本語) | 個人代理人 |
What it means
Under HIPAA, a personal representative is someone legally authorized to make healthcare decisions on behalf of a patient—including parents of minors, court-appointed guardians, and holders of a valid healthcare power of attorney. A personal representative has the same right to access, request, and amend a patient's medical records as the patient themselves. Providers must treat a properly identified personal representative as if they were the patient for all HIPAA purposes. Providers may decline this status if recognizing the representative could endanger the patient.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
PER-sun-ul REP-rih-zen-tuh-tiv
representante personal
Also called 'authorized representative' or 'healthcare proxy'
También llamado 'representante autorizado' o 'apoderado de salud'
You might say: 'I am the patient's personal representative under HIPAA'
'Soy el representante personal del paciente bajo HIPAA'
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026