My Health Record for minors

At the birth of a child 

• When a parent registers their newborn for Medicare they can choose whether the newborn will get a My Health Record. If they choose not to, they can still create a record for their child any time before their 14th birthday 

• The parent indicates whether they would like the child to have a My Health Record using the ‘Newborn Child Declaration’ form in their ‘Parent Pack’ 

When the child is 0-14 years old 

• After the opt-out period ended in January 2019, all children had a My Health Record created for them automatically if:
  • They were listed on a parent/guardian’s Medicare card, and
  • A parent/guardian, known as an authorised representative (AR), had not opted them out of My Health Record
  • A parent/guardian (AR) had not previously cancelled their child’s My Health Record.
• For children aged up to 14 years old, a parent/guardian (AR) typically manages their My Health Record and makes decisions about access by healthcare organisations
• The parent/guardian (AR) can view information in the child’s record including: clinical documents, MBS, PBS and immunisation records until the child’s 14th birthday.

At the child’s 14th birthday 

• • When a child turns 14, the parent/guardian is automatically removed as an ‘authorised representative’ and they can no longer access the child’s record.  
  • This is consistent with the legal rights of a competent minor to seek medical care without the knowledge and consent of a parent/guardian 
  • A child can invite their parent/guardian (or trusted adult) to be a nominated representative. The nominated representative can view the record or help manage it, depending on the level of access they are granted.  
  • A parent/guardian who believes the child does not have capacity to manage their own record can apply to the Agency to continue to act as the child’s authorised representative and have complete control of the record.