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If I am the policyholder, am I responsible for paying the co-pays for my child under age 18 when he or she accesses services confidentially and makes a Confidential Communications Request (CCR)?

In most cases, no, but it depends on your child’s age and the type of services obtained. In almost all situations, when teenagers under 18 obtain confidential “sensitive services” without parent or guardian knowledge, the parent or guardian is not liable for payment for any of the health care received.

However, if teenagers under age 18 obtain health care that is not a “sensitive service,” such as a physical for school, their parent or guardian is typically, but not always, liable. That is also true for younger children. If there are legal custody or support orders in place, that order may control which parent or guardian is liable for the care and which parent or guardian may submit a CCR on behalf of the child.

No matter who is responsible, it is important to know that because of the Affordable Care Act, health plans now are required to cover many prevenitive services without charging a co-pay. Find a list of prevenitive services that are available without a co-pay. If you are unsure about whether you would have to pay out of pocket, contact your health care provider and your insurance provider.

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