The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and adolescents

Adolescents are one of the most at-risk and underinsured age groups (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2000). The new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations will affect all aspects of the health care delivery system and are designed to protect consumers. The adolescent consumer, however, may not fare so well with the new regulations. Providers delivering care to adolescents have often been involved with regulations that hampered their ability to deliver care to this age group.