Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Legislature / Woods House Committee Passes Bill Denying Confidentiality to Teens
Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, May 13, 2009 at 4:41 PM
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Despite opposition from the Tennessee Medical Association and the state Health Department, the House Judiciary Committee has just voted 7-5 for Rep. Tony Shipley's bill to deny doctor-patient confidentiality to teens. It's a victory for conservative Christians, who run the legislature now and who think this bill will stop girls from having pregnancy tests without their parents' knowledge.
The bill was amended to give physicians a little more discretion in deciding whether to surrender medical records to parents. The way it's now written, physicians can deny access if they suspect the patient has been or may be abused or neglected. But health care professionals worry that if they can't promise teens confidentiality, then they won't go to the doctor for STDs or other embarrassing illnesses.
"Having access to confidential care is essential to getting young people into care in a timely manner," said Dr. Veronica Gunn, the Health Department's chief medical officer.
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