Texas AG, Memorial Hermann reach agreement to allow parents access to child's medical records
HOUSTON - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Memorial Hermann Health System (MHHS), have reached an agreement in which the health system will adopt a new digital program allowing parents to have complete access to their children’s medical records.
In their release, the Office of the Attorney General stated they initiated an inquiry into MHHS about potential misrepresentations concerning parents' access to their children’s medical records, but MHHS's website indicated a state law prohibited them from providing parents with certain adolescent medical records.
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According to Ken Paxton's office, MHHS's own technological constraints were responsible for the limitation so both parties decided on an agreement to address the issue.
MHHS agreed to implement a new digital program to allow parents full access to their children’s medical records, but while they work on that, the health system's website will provide instructions to parents on how to obtain medical records for their adolescent children.
In a statement, Memorial Hermann Health System said, "Our health system’s policies are in compliance with both state and federal laws. While parents and legal guardians have always been able to access medical records for minors under the age of 18, additional instructions will be added to our EverydayWell patient portal log-in page and to our website to help ensure patients and their families understand how to access medical records. The system’s decision to transition to a new electronic medical record, announced in September 2022, was unrelated to this investigation."
"This settlement represents the major progress my office has made to ensure parents’ rights are protected in an era where medical decision-making has become painfully politically charged," said Attorney General Paxton. "By achieving this agreement, we have ensured the best possible outcome for Texas families."
To read the full agreement, click here.