Thread: 12 year olds in charge of their own medical decisions?

Do you think the state of New York has gone overboard in putting 12 year olds in charge of their own medical decisions as a way to bypass parental consent for abortions?

If your child is medically treated in the state of New York, don?t count on getting any information from the hospital ‒ unless you have your child?s permission.
Russell S. Hepler, of Transformation 1202 Ministries, found out this sobering reality firsthand when he learned last month that parental rights are becoming a thing of the past in the Empire State
?My 15-year-old step son dislocated his finger in a gym class accident,? Hepler informed Instant Analysis. ?Since the closest hospital emergency room to where we live is located in New York State, a few miles away, it was the obvious choice for treatment. He was seen by a doctor in the E R and had the finger put back in place.?
But the dislocated finger ended up not being the most painful aspect of the experience.
?[A] few weeks later, the first bill for services arrived from the hospital,? recalled Hepler, author of the book Yes! We Can Turn America Around: A Practical Guide for Christian Political Involvement. ?At first we thought it a bit strange that the bill came in his name since he is a minor and since our health insurance is through my wife?s employer and is in her name.?
Hepler?s wife soon found that one error led to another.
?When my wife examined the bill, it contained a few errors of personal information,? Hepler relayed. ?My wife phoned the hospital and health insurance company to get the errors corrected before dealing with the bill so that there would be no future confusion about identity information.?
What soon entailed made the Hepler family feel like they were placed in the midst of a Twilight Zone episode.
Records ? what records?
?She was informed by someone from the health insurance provider that they could not discuss the bill with her,? continued Hepler, who is a conference speaker on Christian issues. ?When asked why they couldn?t possibly discuss her child?s medical bill, which her insurance would be involved in paying, she was told that according to New York State law, since her son is over the age of 12, his medical records are confidential!?
The left-leaning state, which recently legalized same-sex ?marriage? has now turned things around on parents, they now need permission from their children instead of the other way around.
?He would have to sign a release form for her to have access to his records!? Hepler exclaimed. ?He would also have to set up his own account online allowing her access to his records.?
Hepler never thought that this type of communist state control could ever wash up on the shores of America.
?At first, we were flabbergasted,? expressed Hepler, who has been a political and issues activist over the past 25 years. ?How is it possible for any state law to be so incredibly stupid to deny the parents of a minor child the right to know about [his or her] medical records??
He soon found out the answer to his own question.
?Yet, it seems this is now the case in New York,? Hepler finally realized to his dismay. ?Apparently, New York believes that 12-year-olds are competent to manage their own medical affairs!?
In fact, the policy was so absurd that even those within the medical field agree that something?s gone wrong with the state of New York?s health.
?The woman my wife spoke to was sympathetic,? said Hepler, who presents seminars on a number of Christian issues and topics. ?It was obvious she doesn?t like the law any better than we did. She relayed an account of having to discuss adult financial matters with a 12-year-old last week. She said the poor kid was totally confused and scared to death by the questions being asked.? -

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This is not new for New York, Gloria. As far as I can recall, it's been at least a decade since minors in New York could have an abortion without parental consent.

Originally Posted by ClairesMommy

This is not new for New York, Gloria. As far as I can recall, it's been at least a decade since minors in New York could have an abortion without parental consent.

Has it been a decade that parents have not even been allowed to see a 12 year olds medical records?

Originally Posted by GloriaInTX

Has it been a decade that parents have not even been allowed to see a 12 year olds medical records?

I don't know. Has it? What does that have to do with circumventing parental consent for abortion? It's your debate topic.

Regardless of any abortion law it is ridiculous that a parent needs to ask a child for permission to see medical records.

Originally Posted by ClairesMommy

I don't know. Has it? What does that have to do with circumventing parental consent for abortion? It's your debate topic.

The debate topic is whether it is a good idea for 12 year olds being in charge of their own medical decsions. It is just a by product of the parental consent for abortion as that is the reason that it came about.

I do think a parent should have access to their child's medical records until age 18.

Originally Posted by AlyssaEimers

I do think a parent should have access to their child's medical records until age 18.

Only for procedures that they have consented to. There are emergency procedures that require no consent, and a parent would have the right to access those records, and if an abortion to save the life of the mother is one of them, then the parent should have access to that information. But an abortion that required no consent and was the option of the mother should not be divulged to the parents through the girl's medical records.

Originally Posted by ClairesMommy

Only for procedures that they have consented to. There are emergency procedures that require no consent, and a parent would have the right to access those records, and if an abortion to save the life of the mother is one of them, then the parent should have access to that information. But an abortion that required no consent and was the option of the mother should not be divulged to the parents through the girl's medical records.

This was a 15 year old boy who dislocated his finger, and the parents were not allowed to see his records without consent.

So then the kid goes "I give consent" and they can see them. Seems pretty simple to me.