a covered entity may disclose, or provide access . Ages of consent in the United States - Wikipedia law, . In some states, a "close in age exemption" exists to decriminalize consensual sex between two individuals who are both under the age of consent. In addition to the actual state statutes, a number of documents and on-line resources provided valuable supplementary information. A licensed health care professional must be designated by the provider as a reviewing official to make a final determination (164.524(d)(4)). (b) permits covered entities to share with an individuals family member, other relative, close personal friend, or any other person identified by the individual, the information directly relevant to the involvement of that person in the patients care or payment for health care. Local child protective services agencies are responsible for receiving reports of child abuse. . Limitations on parental access. Health care providers may disclose the necessary protected health information to anyone who is in a position to prevent or lessen the threatened harm, including family, friends, caregivers, and law enforcement, without a patients permission. See 18 U.S.C.A. Mandated reporters must notify the local child protection unit of the Department of Social Services if they suspect abuse perpetrated by: the victims parent or caretaker; a person who maintains an interpersonal dating or engagement relationship with the parent or caretaker; or a person living in the same residence with the parent or caretaker as a spouse whether married or not. HIPAA provided that such standards shall not supersede State law that imposes more stringent standards (P.L. 11 Engaging in sexual intercourse with someone who is less than 16 years of age is legal under certain circumstances. Additional individuals eligible for inclusion in multi-disciplinary teams include: representatives from the public schools, mental and physical health practitioners, child development specialists, and victim counselors. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The majority of the reporting requirements deal primarily with child abuse. Where the HIPAA Privacy Rule applies, does it allow a health care provider to disclose protected health information (PHI) about a troubled teen to the parents of the teen? Of paramount concern is protecting young people from harm and providing vulnerable young people with the health care and other supports that they need while assisting service providers in their obligation to comply with state reporting requirements. A covered entity may obtain consent of the individual to use or disclose PHI to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operations (164.506(b)(1)). Only 12 states have a single age of consent, below which an individual cannot consent to sexual intercourse under any circumstances, and above which it is legal to engage in sexual intercourse with another person above the age of consent. HIPAA - The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey For personal notes and observations other than psychotherapy notes as defined by HIPAA, HIPAA prevails, Does not apply to information maintained by a practitioner, concerning or relating to the prior examination or treatment of a subject received from another practitioner (18(1)(e)(iii)), Does not apply to diagnostic services performed by a practitioner at the request of another practitioner (18(1)(e)(last sentence)), Does not apply to PHI obtained from someone other than a health care provider under a promise of confidentiality and the access requested would be reasonably likely to reveal the source of the information (164.524(a)(2)(v)), Does not include data disclosed to a practitioner in confidence by other persons on the basis of an express condition that such data would never be disclosed (18(1)(e)(iv)), Provider may deny access to all or part of the information and may grant access to a prepared summary of the information if, after consideration of all the attendant facts and circumstances, the, Provider may deny access to all or part of the information and may grant access to a prepared summary of the information if, after consideration of all the attendant facts and circumstances, the provider determines that the request to review all or a part of the patient information can reasonably be expected to cause. Generally, a parent, legally appointed guardian or committee exercises rights on behalf of a child, ward or incapacitated person (. However, if the victim is above this minimum age requirement (13) and below the age of consent (16), it is only illegal to engage in sexual intercourse with that individual if the defendant is at least 18 years of age. In 27 states that do not have a single age of consent, statutes specify the age below which an individual cannot legally engage in sexual intercourse regardless of the age of the defendant (see the second column in Table 1). If not for treatment, payment or health care operations, a HIPAA-compliant authorization is also required. At The Lewin Group, Shauna Brodsky reviewed drafts and provided helpful comments. In situations where the patient is given the opportunity and does not object, HIPAA allows the provider to share or discuss the patients mental health information with family members or other persons involved in the patients care or payment for care. Generally, the Privacy Rule applies uniformly to all protected health information, without regard to the type of information. (Texas Family Code 32.101; 32.003; and Health and Safety Code 773.008) In New Jersey, the age of consent is 16, but individuals who are at least 13 years of age can legally engage in sexual activities if the defendant is less than 4 years older than the victim. 10 There are some cases where a states laws regarding sexual intercourse are not consistent with one or more of its laws governing other types of sexual acts. These include: [2] The Alan Guttmacher Institute (1994). The HIPAA Privacy Rule treats an adult or emancipated minors personal representative as the individual for purposes of the Rule regarding the health care matters that relate to the representation, including the right of access under 45 CFR 164.524. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within HHS, and its federal partner agencies, are focusing on three federally funded programs that have contact with adolescents: Title X family planning clinics, Health Resources and Services Administration-supported health centers, and child protective services. In New Jersey, for example, sexual activities involving minors is addressed in three offenses: criminal sexual contact, sexual assault, and aggravated sexual assault. The descriptions of the offenses within each state summary use the specific terms from the statutes and the summaries include footnoted definitions of these terms whenever the statutes provide them. The legal age of consent varies from 16 to 18 years old from state to state across the United States. The most common age of consent is 16, which is a common age of consent in most other Western countries. Disclosures for Law Enforcement Purposes (5), Disposal of Protected Health Information (6), Judicial and Administrative Proceedings (8), Right to an Accounting of Disclosures (8), Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations Disclosures (30), Given that the patient is no longer present, if the therapist determines, based on professional judgment, that there may be an emergency situation and that contacting the family member of the absent patient is in the patients best interests; or. Oberman, M. (2000). Except in an emergency treatment situation, a provider must make a good faith effort to obtain a written acknowledgment of receipt of the provider's Notice of Privacy Practices, and if not obtained, document its good faith efforts to obtain such acknowledgment and the reason why the acknowledgment was not obtained (164.520(c)(2)(ii)). For psychotherapy notes as defined by HIPAA, PHL 18 prevails. 200 Independence Avenue, SW For example, the issue surfaced during debates about welfare reform in the mid 1990s when some legislators suggested that stricter enforcement of statutory rape laws could help to reduce teen pregnancy rates. The reporting laws usually specify one or more agencies to which reports should be made. State statutes vary in the level of detail they provide. HHS promulgated the federal standards, and they are now in Parts 160 and 164 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations (the "Privacy Rule"). . For example, in Texas any individual who suspects child abuse is required to notify the proper authorities. law, . Each states statutes were accessed via the Internetusually through the state legislatures Website. There is wide variation among states in the level of cooperation mandated by their statutes. However, a separate provision requires mandated reporters to notify the proper authorities of all cases of sexual abuse involving a victim under 12 years of age regardless of the defendants relationship to the victim. For example, in California all sexual activity involving minors is illegal. 22 Most statutes categorize crimes based on the severity of the act (e.g., 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree rape). Eichenberger v. Stockton Pregnancy Control Medial Clinic, Inc., 249 Cal. HIPAA & Privacy Laws | Texas Health and Human Services Sexual intercourse with someone who is under the age of consent is only illegal if the defendant is: (1) at least 4 years older than the victim. Work on this project was funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a contract to The Lewin Group. If a health care power of attorney is currently in effect, the named person would be the patients personal representative (The period of effectiveness may depend on the type of power of attorney: Some health care power of attorney documents are effective immediately, while others are only triggered if and when the patient lacks the capacity to make health care decisions and then cease to be effective if and when the patient regains such capacity). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") issued the Privacy Rule to implement the requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"). 2023 AgeOfConsent.net. The statutes often provide a range of sentences and this ordering does not take into account the effect of any sentencing recommendations in the statutes or other documents. Defendant refers to the alleged perpetrator or individual who would be subject to prosecution under the statute in question. 2086-Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule permit a doctor to discuss a patient's health status, treatment, or payment arrangements with a person who is not married to the patient or is otherwise not recognized as a relative of the patient under applicable law? More often though, all of the acts will be illegal (with the same age requirements), but the severity of the punishment will differ based on the type of sexual activity. This trend reflects the 1977 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Carey v. The crime of statutory rape in North Carolina is also referred to as sexual offense of person who is 13, 14, or 15 years old. In addition to the five states listed, the Pennsylvania statutes include the offense of statutory sexual assault. Similarly, statutory sexual seduction is a crime in Nevada. HIPAA does not preempt PHL 2782(1)(h), but HIPAA may require an authorization to disclose confidential HIV related information to an authorized agency in connection with foster care or adoption of a child, if the agency is not a "person acting. (1) accounted for by the provider if not authorized by the subject; (2) consistent with the provider's Notice of Privacy Practices; and. . For the purposes of this overview, statutory rape refers to sexual acts that would be legal if not for the age of at least one of the parties. Generally, yes. . In Pennsylvania, the statute requires all individuals who encounter a case of abuse through their professional capacity to make a report. . 1 The Privacy Rule standards address the use and disclosure of individuals' health informationcalled "protected health information" by organizations subject t. See 45 CFR 164.502(g). Health Care & Health Insurance Agency Legislative Council Staff Published 12/23/2022 This issue brief provides an overview of minors' rights to deny others access to medical records under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Colorado state law. PDF TEENAGERS, HEALTH CARE, AND THE LAW - New York Civil Liberties Union If under applicable law a person has authority to act on behalf of an individual who is. Applies to all medical records and billing records and any other records used to make decisions about individuals (164.524(a), 164.501(Designated record set)), Applies to information concerning or relating to the examination, health assessment or treatment of an individual (18(2), 18(1)(e)), Does not apply to clinical records (maintained or possessed by an OMH, OMRDD or OASAS facility) access to which is governed under Mental Hygiene Law 22.03 and33.16 (18(1)(e)(i)). Although they recognized the importance of protecting vulnerable minors from coercive and exploitative sexual relationships, they wanted to ensure that the laws did not unduly restrict the sexual autonomy of young women. HIPAA is intended to be a set of minimum federal privacy standards, so it generally is possible to comply with HIPAA and other laws, such as 42 CFR Part 2, that are more protective of individuals privacy. The agency must ensure that the following officials sign the MOU: a juvenile judge in the county; the county peace officer, chief municipal peace officers, and local other law enforcement officers that handle abuse cases; the prosecuting attorney of the county; and the county humane officer. However, sexual contact with someone who is at least 13 years of age is legal under certain circumstances. Thus, the Department will continue to enforce such State laws that are within the Department's purview to enforce. States statutory rape offenses detail the age at which an individual can legally consent to sexual activity. Instead, criminal codes specify the legality of specific sexual acts. Content created by Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Disclosures of genetic test information for treatment, payment or health care operations need only be in compliance with Civil Rights Law 79-l. Parts 160 and 164, known collectively as HIPAA, establishes standards for the privacy and security of health information. A covered entity may disclose PHI without authorization to the extent that such use or disclosure is to a public health authority for public health activities (164.512(b)), to a health oversight authority for health oversight activities (164.512(d)) or if an IRB has waived the requirement to get an authorization, applying the specific criteria in 164.512(i). HIPAA generally follows state law about parents' authority over their minor children's treatment.Therefore, where state law gives your minor child the ability to consent to their own treatment and yourchild has consented, HIPAA does not give you the right to access information about that treatment. [5] The modern rationale for these laws is grounded in the desire to protect minors from sexual exploitation. However, the law also includes more specific reporting requirements for individuals who work with children in a professional capacity, including employees of a clinic or health care facility that provides reproductive services. Not at the time of disclosure; however, the Notice of Privacy Practices should contain an example of this type of disclosure so patients are informed in advance of that possibility. However, Pennsylvania law permits a minor to consent to all medical, dental, and other health services, except abortion, if the minor has: (1) graduated from high school, or (2) been married, or (3) been pregnant. . While that sounds simple and straight forward, once the minor reaches the age of 12, they obtain the right to receive certain services that do not require consent from a parent or guardian. This section focuses on laws addressing sexual intercourse.10Table 1 summarizes, where applicable, each states: As the first column in Table 1 shows, the age of consent varies by state. In those states where the definition of child abuse does not explicitly refer to statutory rape, discrepancies between the legality of certain sexual activities and whether they are reportable offenses are more common. In 27 states, the legality of engaging in sexual intercourse with minors is, at least in some circumstances, based on the difference in age between the two parties (see the third column in Table 1). Does not apply to psychotherapy notes (164.524(a)(1)(i), 164.501(Psychotherapy notes)). Subsection 2 describes briefly the variety of offenses delineated in state statutes. 19 Engaging in sexual penetration with someone who is at least 10 years of age and less than 16 years of age is legal under certain circumstances. States can formalize such cooperation by requiring relevant agencies to develop a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for responding to reported abuse. Minimum age requirement. The laws referenced in this report generally come from two areas of states statutes.[8]. Physicians, physician's assistants and specialist's assistants must comply with both HIPAA and State law. practitioner's personal notes and observations, PHI does not make reference to another person, provider determines that the request to review all or a part of the patient information can reasonably be expected to cause substantial and identifiable harm to the subject or others, substantial and identifiable harm to the subject or others, would outweigh the qualified person's right of access, The request is made by the individual's personal representative, substantial harm to the individual or another person, substantial and identifiable harm to the subject or others which would outweigh the qualified person's right of access, authorized pursuant to law to consent to health care, provided, however, that the physician shall not make such disclosure if, disclosure would not be in the best interest of the protected individual, Health & Safety in the Home, Workplace & Outdoors, Clinical Guidelines, Standards & Quality of Care, All Health Care Professionals & Patient Safety, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), James V. McDonald, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner, The Latest on New York's Response to COVID-19, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), Health Care and Mental Hygiene Worker Bonus Program, Lyme Disease & Other Diseases Carried By Ticks, Maternal Mortality & Disparate Racial Outcomes, NY State of Health (Health Plan Marketplace), Help Increasing the Text Size in Your Web Browser. The laws went largely unchanged until the end of the 19th century, when feminists sought to increase the age of consent to protect young women from potentially coercive relationships. Any minor who is 14 years of age or older, or has graduated from high school, or is married, or having been married is divorced, or is pregnant, may give effective. 13 Intercourse with a female who is less than 18 years of age is illegal regardless of the age of the defendant. No conflict, because it is possible to comply with both the State and federal requirements. This report benefited greatly from the oversight and input of Jerry Silverman, the ASPE Project Officer. Outpatient mental health treatment: Yes, unless youth is 13 or older. An official website of the United States government. an authorized agency in connection with foster care or adoption of a child" (PHL 2782(1)(h)). AgeOfConsent.net is a free public resource site, and cannot offer legal advice. PDF Washington State Law Survey of a Minor's Right to Consent to Treatment Age of Consent in Texas and Exceptions | Age of Consent Map PHL 18 prevails if disclosure would cause substantial harm to the other person. Young adults are entitled to the same confidentiality protections under state and federal laws as other adults. Answer all questions on the Zipline SmartForms. Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule | HHS.gov The Department will enforce other State laws to the extent that the Privacy Rule does not preempt them. Alternatively, a covered entity may disclose a "limited data set" to DOH for research purposes if DOH executes a "data use agreement.". . Sex and Americas Teenagers. The report does not include laws where the legality of the sexual acts is dependent on the relationship of the participants (e.g., incest, sex between teachers and students or doctors and patients). 15 It is illegal to engage in a sexual penetration with someone who is less than 16 years of age. Covered entities may disclose PHI to DOH under PHL 206(1)(j): (1) if the subject authorizes the disclosure under HIPAA; or. Health maintenance organizations must comply with both HIPAA and State law. The applicable laws are often embedded in the section of the code dealing with other sexual offenses (e.g., sexual assault, forcible rape). Note: The minor consent law information in this chart was adapted from State Policies in Brief: An Overview of Minors' Consent Law (New York: The Guttmacher Institute, August 1, 2012), 25 It is important to note that this report does not address state laws governing the age at which individuals can marry. This row of this chart is merely intended to preface the analysis of preemption of PHL 2782(4) below. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS As of August 1, 2018, the age of consent in each state in the United States is either 16 years of age, 17 years of age, or 18 years of age. ", "If, and to the extent, prohibited by an applicable provision of State . The remainder of this chart is confined to the law for "health care providers" under State law. Consider Iowa, where statutory rape is only included in the definition of child abusethereby making it a reportable offenseif the victim is under 12 years of age. Community influencers will receive a monthly compensation of $75 for their active participation in meetings, focus groups, surveys and social media . Certain Department programs are covered by these HIPAA regulations. State statutes vary in the extent to which statutory rape is included in the reporting requirements. For example, Georgia law considers the crime of statutory rape to be a felony unless the victim is 14 or 15 years of age (the age of consent is 16) and the defendant is no more than 3 years older than the victim, in which case the offense is only a misdemeanor. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Generally, the Part 2 rules provide more stringent privacy protections than HIPAA, including in emergency situations. Disclosures of protected health information in a group therapy setting are treatment disclosures and, thus, may be made without an individuals authorization. In such cases, mandated reporters are required to notify the proper authorities if they suspect that a child has been a victim of any of these offenses. 30 Most state statutes in which members of the clergy or attorneys are mandated reporters designate certain communication to be privileged and therefore exempt from these requirements. The Institute's portal allows a third. The ages of the victim and the defendant as well as the nature of the sexual activity dictate under which offense the conduct falls. However, sexual contact with someone who is less than 13 years of age is legal under certain circumstances. Minors' Medical Records and Consent to Care (22-10) 31 Almost all state statutes include a provision indicating that anyone is allowed to report suspected abuse. PHL 17 prevails, because disclosures under PHL 17 are "required by law. adolescents are minorsunder age 18and some are young adultsage 18 or older. . However, the HIPAA privacy standards and state privacy standards are voluminous, vague, and subject to change, and the . HIPAA If an entity is subject to both Part 2 and HIPAA, it is responsible for complying with the more protective Part 2 rules, as well as with HIPAA. In addition, the report indicates where the applicability of states reporting requirements is limited based on the relationship between the victim and defendant (e.g., cases where the defendant is a person responsible for the care of the victim). PHL 18 prevails, because a covered entity may only disclose PHI to a parent to the extent permitted by State law. However, when these laws originated in 13th century, the primary intent was to protect the chastity of young women. 12 Sexual acts with individuals who are at least 16 years of age are only illegal is the defendant is 30 years of age or older. 361 (1986); People ex rel. Consent of Minors: a. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule permit a covered entity to disclose psychotherapy notes to or through a health information organization (HIO)? . At what age of a child is the parent no longer the personal In some states, the responsibility for the initial investigation depends on the relationship between the victim and the defendant. . 24 In South Carolina, the spousal exemption does not apply to marriages entered into by a male under 16 years of age or a female under 14 years of age. As noted above, few states use the term statutory rape in their codes. HIPAA defers to state law to determine the age of majority and the rights of parents to act for a child in making health care decisions, and thus, the ability of the parent to act as the personal representative of the child for HIPAA purposes. Regulating Consensual Sex with Minors: Defining a Role for Statutory Rape,, Phipps, C.A. . . In addition, there was a strong push to make the laws gender-neutral. In other states there are fewer limits on the applicability of reporting requirements to statutory rape. The three circumstances when a parent is not the minor's personal representative are: When state or other law does not require the consent of a parent or other person before a minor can obtain a particular health care service, and the minor consents to the health care service. Before Department staff can release protected health information to anyone not involved in treatment, payment or health care operations, a completed copy of the MDCH-1183, Authorization to Disclose Protected Health Information, must be on file with the Department. (2) if an IRB has waived the requirement to get authorization, applying the specific criteria in HIPAA. Each is described below. A covered entity may not disclose PHI about an unemancipated minor to a parent, guardian, or other person acting in loco parentis to the extent that an applicable provision of State or other law, including applicable case law, prohibits such disclosure (164.502(g)(3)(ii)(B)). More often, states vary in terms of the applicability of the reporting requirements. The chart below consolidates published ages of consent for the various states. Lewin is assisted in the study by an advisory group composed of representatives from each of the three HHS agencies on which the study is focused: The Office of Population Affairs, the Childrens Bureau, and the Health Resources and Services Administration. HIPAA - State of Michigan State statutes also use a variety of terms when referring to sexual acts (e.g., sexual intercourse, sexual penetration, sexual contact, indecent contact), and the definitions of these terms are not always consistent across states.
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