A New Report on Confidentiality from Incenter Strategies

May 6, 2008

Incenter Strategies, The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health, is pleased to announce the availability of a new fact sheet on state policies affecting confidential health care for adolescents.

This fact sheet examines state minor consent laws and the use of explanation of benefits (EOB) statements by public insurers and their contracting health plans. We found that all states recognize the importance of minor consent and give minors the right to consent for at least one of the services considered "sensitive" but that less than a third of states allow adolescents to consent for four key sensitive services for adolescents. However, even when minor consent is permitted, the vast majority of state Medicaid agencies employ administrative practices that are intended to detect fraud but have the potential to negate confidentiality protections. Use of EOBs by contracting managed care organizations appears not to be a problem.