FAQ 228 If a child receives emergency medical care without a parent's consent, can the parent get all information about the child's treatment and condition?
This is a HIPAA FAQ for covered entities.
Final
Issued by: Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
If a child receives emergency medical care without a parent's consent, can the parent get all information about the child's treatment and condition?
Answer:
Generally, yes. Even though the parent did not consent to the treatment in this situation, the parent would be the child’s personal representative under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. This would not be so when the parent does not have authority to act for the child (e.g., parental rights have been terminated), when expressly prohibited by State or other applicable law, or when the covered entity, in the exercise of professional judgment, believes that providing such information would not be in the best interest of the individual because of a reasonable belief that the individual may be subject to abuse or neglect by the personal representative, or that doing so would otherwise endanger the individual.
Date Created: 12/19/2002
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