The patient is a minor and the patient’s parent is asking us to fill out the form. Can the completed form be sent to the parent who requested it?
HIPAA generally does not require an authorization for a parent to use or disclose the protected health information of a minor child. However, California law permits minors who are 12 years old or older to receive certain healthcare services without parental consent (e.g., services for sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy or outpatient mental health counseling). In these cases, any disclosure to parents would require the patient – i.e., the minor – to complete a HIPAA-compliant authorization. Additionally, in those limited instances, consider mailing the completed form in a sealed envelope addressed to the patient, rather than to the parent who requested it.
Related Questions
- I’ve requested my parents’ permission and sent reminders, but my parent still hasn’t gotten the message even after checking the spam folders. What can I do?
- Why are reimbursements for Out-of-Pocket Expenses relating to a minor sent to the Public Trustee, when it is the parent who has paid for the expenses?
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