Question

The mother of a 19 year old patient presents to the Health Information Department and demands you release copies of her daughter's health records. The mother indicates that her daughter is on her insurance plan and that she is responsible for and pays for her daughter's bills. How do you handle this situation?

Answer 1

Ans) Before a child reaches the age of majority, which is 18 years old in most states, he cannot legally exercise his rights granted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Minors' parents or guardians act as personal representatives under special patient considerations.

But here child is 19 years old.

- The HIPAA Privacy Rule gives you the right to inspect, review, and receive a copy of your health and billing records that are held by health plans and health care providers covered under HIPAA.

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Yes. U.S. law gives patients the right to see, get copies of, and sometimes even change their medical records.

If you're younger than 18, your parent or guardian will probably need to ask for copies of medical records on your behalf. But as more states allow people under age 18 to take charge of their own health services, you might be able to get your own records.

A U.S. law limits who can see medical records. The law, known as HIPAA, protects patient information from prying eyes. You're covered by HIPAA after you turn 18. At that point, you need to give written permission for people to see your medical records — even your parents.

Medical records can be confusing for people who aren't trained to read them. That's especially true for test results or images like X-rays and MRIs. Something that can look scary might be nothing to worry about. So if you do look at your records on your own, keep that in mind. Talk to your health care provider if you have questions.