On November 16, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton affirmatively announced a settlement with the Memorial Hermann Health System (MHHS). The settlement ensures parents' full access to their children's medical records, as per law. This decision rectifies MHHS's previous misinformation about the accessibility of hospital records under Texas state law, as detailed in the Attorney General of Texas press release.
The Attorney General's Office launched an investigation into MHHS in 2022 due to misleading information on its website, suggesting Texas law prohibited the release of adolescent medical records to parents. The investigation determined that it was MHHS's technological limitations, not state law, that hindered parental access.
MHHS has agreed to implement a new digital program to grant parents total access to their children's medical records. The health system has also updated its website to assist parents in accessing their children's records. The settlement agreement indicates MHHS's commitment to "ensure open and transparent parental access in accordance with Texas and federal law to their adolescent child’s medical records."
Attorney General Paxton expressed satisfaction regarding the settlement, stating, “This settlement represents the major progress my office has made to ensure parents’ rights are protected in an era where medical decision-making has become painfully politically charged,” Paxton said, according to the Attorney General of Texas official website.
