A Practice Note explaining Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) releases, which an individual can use to designate one or more people to have access to the individual's protected health information, with a focus on the use of a HIPAA release as part of a client's estate plan in New York. This Note provides information on the purpose and use of a HIPAA release, drafting and execution requirements, and advantages and limitations as related to other advance health care directives, including health care proxies and living wills.