Representative Lear Votes in Support of My Child-My Chart Act

State Representative Beth Lear (R-Galena) today voted in support of House Bill 162 - the My Child-My Chart Act - legislation that works to allow parents to access their child's medical charts.

"Children cannot get pierced ears, tattoos, or tanning without parental permission, but pediatricians can hide the medical records of children from their own parents? That's unacceptable. This bill is a no-brainer," said Rep. Lear.

The bill requires a health care provider utilizing an electronic health records system to ensure, to the fullest extent permitted under the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule and Ohio law, that a minor's parent or guardian has access in that system to the minor's health records.

House Bill 162 would require a health care provider maintaining protected health information for minor patients to annually inform each minor's parent or guardian of all the following:

• The circumstances in which Ohio law permits minors to receive health care without parental or guardian consent;
• That medical records related to care a minor received without parental or guardian consent may not be disclosed to a parent or guardian without the minor's authorization;
• That a minor's consent for parent or guardian access to the minor's medical records is valid only for records regarding care provided to the minor by the health care provider obtaining the minor's consent.

House Bill 162 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.