Can a minor consent to health care without parental notification?
It depends on the situation. HIPAA, the federal privacy law, says generally that parents may receive protected health information of minors. However, HIPAA sets a minimum standard, which allows states to create stronger laws. Some states have enacted laws allowing minors to consent to certain types of medical treatment. To see if a minor can consent to a particular treatment you should consult state law. The Guttmacher Institute has a guide to state laws, available at www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/03/4/gr030404.pdf (2000) For general information on your state’s medical privacy law, go to http://ihcrp.georgetown.edu/privacy/records.html and choose your state from the list on the right.
