Minor Confidentiality

The state of Idaho has laws that grant minors (individuals under the age of 18) the ability to independently consent to specific healthcare services. These laws also mandate that all healthcare providers treat these healthcare services with the utmost confidentiality. Because of this, Northwest Specialty Hospital does not permit patient portal healthcare access for parents and guardians of minor patients.

Healthcare Services that Minors Can Consent To

Minor patients may independently consent to a range of services, contingent upon the patient’s age:

• Birth control services
• Prenatal care
• Management of sexually transmitted diseases and infections
• Outpatient substance abuse treatment
• Behavioral health services

For Parents

Northwest Specialty Hospital strongly encourages and values parental involvement in their child’s healthcare journey. We respect the authority of parents to make healthcare decisions on behalf of their children. Whenever possible, parents will remain actively engaged in their child’s healthcare. Parents can continue to access information about their child’s healthcare. Nevertheless, the laws of Idaho grant minors the privilege to independently consent to specific healthcare services, as listed above. These laws also mandate healthcare providers to handle these visits with the utmost confidentiality. Consequently, if your child independently consents to one of the aforementioned services to comply with state law, Northwest Specialty Hospital will be unable to share information with you concerning those visits. In order to streamline Northwest Specialty Hospital’s compliance with these laws, patient portal access is not available for anyone under the age of 18. Parents will still retain access to billing information related to their minor child for other services. Additionally, parents can continue to access their child’s healthcare information for other services by getting in touch with Northwest Specialty Hospital and requesting the necessary records.

For Minors

For minors seeking care at a Northwest Specialty Hospital facility, there are specific services they can independently consent to without requiring parental involvement (refer to “Healthcare services that minors can consent to” above). When minors consult with a Northwest Specialty Hospital provider for these services, Northwest Specialty Hospital implements measures to safeguard the confidentiality of these visits by restricting portal account access. This means that, for these services, Northwest Specialty Hospital will not disclose your healthcare information to any other party unless you provide explicit permission.