What You Need to Know about Care at CHOP Now that You’re an Adult: Information for Patients 18 Years and Older
We have enjoyed taking care of you at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) during your childhood and adolescent years. Now that you are a young adult, we want to help you transition your healthcare from CHOP to adult healthcare providers.
Depending on the type of care you receive at CHOP, your providers will begin discussions with you during adolescence to start transition after you turn 18. We encourage you to review the many additional transition resources on our website that can help you during this time.
This resource also explains how becoming an adult affects your care at CHOP provided you are capable of making your own medical decisions. It’s important to know that the law now requires you to take primary responsibility for your own healthcare. This will change how CHOP interacts with you, your parents and other loved ones involved in your care.
Adults who are unable to make their own medical decisions may need assistance. For information on options for medical decision making, please refer to this resource from Disability Rights Pennsylvania: Alternatives to Guardianship for Transition-Age Adults.
Read the sections below for important things to know about each topic. If you have any questions about this information, please let your provider know.
Appointments, prescription refills and referrals
You are now responsible for contacting CHOP to schedule your own appointments, request prescription refills and referrals to specialty providers (if required by your health insurance plan). You can do many of these activities through your MyCHOP online account or by calling your provider’s office. If you do not have a MyCHOP account, go to MyCHOP.chop.edu to sign up.
If your schedule makes it difficult for you to contact CHOP during business hours, ask another person to help you. They can contact CHOP on your behalf to make an appointment or to request a prescription refill or a referral.
Lab results and other treatment Information
You are now responsible for returning calls from CHOP for lab results or to discuss other treatment-related information. If you would like another person to call CHOP on your behalf, you will need to sign a HIPAA authorization. This gives CHOP permission to share information with this individual.
Please note that the CHOP HIPAA authorization form can be valid from 90 days up to one year. Visit the Patient Privacy and HIPAA Rights section for forms and further information.
Consent to treatment
Sometimes before you have a test, treatment or medical procedure, you will need to provide written permission on an informed consent form. When this is required, your healthcare provider will review it with you to explain risks, benefits and answer any questions before you are asked to sign it.
If your provider determines that you are unable to provide consent for yourself because you are hurt or too sick, CHOP will contact an appropriate family member to take over your medical decision making. Some adults prefer to decide in advance who they want to be their medical decision maker.
If this is something you are interested in, you can easily find information about obtaining an official healthcare power of attorney (also known as a medical power of attorney or healthcare agent) online, including free forms, for the state where you live, since each state has its own laws.
If you decide to appoint a trusted loved one as your healthcare power of attorney, it’s important that you discuss this with the person in advance. Give a copy of the completed form to your healthcare provider for your medical record. If you have questions, please feel free to discuss them with your healthcare provider.
Medical visits
You are welcome to have another person join you at your medical visits if you choose. Your healthcare provider, however, will ask to spend some time alone with you during your visit.
If you choose to have a loved one with you while care is provided, your healthcare provider will ask who the person is and give you a chance to tell us whether you would like that person included in discussions about your medical condition and care. Your healthcare provider will try to limit the information shared to what relates to that person’s involvement in your care.
If you want this person (or another person helping you with your care) to speak with CHOP about your care outside of a medical visit where you are present (such as by phone), you will need to complete a HIPAA authorization form giving CHOP permission to share information with this person.
Insurance (PLEASE READ: This may affect your privacy!)
Many young adults are covered under a parent’s or another family member’s health insurance plan past the age of 18. Even though CHOP and the law protect your privacy, some of your information may be shared in medical bills.
If you are covered by another person’s health insurance, bills for care you receive at CHOP may be sent to that person. For this reason, they may find out about appointments, lab tests, procedures or general medical care that was provided to you.
If you do not want this person to know about your healthcare, there are options to get care confidentially in another way. Please let your healthcare provider know if this is a concern.
Contacting you
Every time you come to CHOP, we will ask for your current address and phone numbers. If you live with your parents or with others, we have no control over who opens anything mailed to your home address. If there is any communication that you want to keep private between just you and your CHOP provider, please discuss this with your provider.
Forms and authorizations
Please be aware that many forms completed by your parent or legal guardian before you turned 18 years old expire when you become an adult. Our staff will speak with you about forms you will need to complete. This includes any HIPAA authorizations to release your medical information.
At ages 13 and 18 there will be a form to sign if you would like your parent or legal guardian to continue to have access to your MyCHOP portal. Learn more here under frequently asked questions.
Resources: Transitioning to adult care
See our library of additional resources you may find helpful as you begin to transition to adult providers.