American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Youth: A Model Act Providing for Consent of Minors For Health Services

This Model Act is drafted with the purpose of stimulating all states of the union to review their statutes in regard to minors’ consent for health services. It intends to be all inclusive to give the individual state the option to adopt part or all of this Act whenever it sees fit. In a democratic notion such as ours, mdividuali rights are paramount. In order for everyone, including minors, to have the right of obtaining health services, the balance of this right against others becomes of the utmost importance. Thug Model Act accepts the concept that getting health services is a basic right. ALSo, it accepts that parents have their basic right of protecting and promoting the health and welfare of their minors. Therefore, this Act is a compromise and a balance of these two basic rights in the conditioris specified. The goal of tlth Act is to imsure that all minors can have quality health services by granting the minors selfconsent in conditions and instances that will prevent them from seeking services if parental consent is required and by encouraging health professionals to deliver quality services to minors without incurring legal liability. Reasonable safeguards and limitations are stipulated in this Act to protect the minors’ safety and the right of the parent. ThL Act aLs’ o emphasizes the promotion of family harmony and minor’s maturity. W HEBEAS, certain minors are not obtaming adequate medical, dental, or other health care due to current legal and medical obstacles,