A 21-year-old patient attends with his mother, who will pay for the treatment. How should treatment and cost be discussed?

Correct answer: A. Discuss with both, but only with the patient's consent to share his information

• A. Correct. At 21 the patient is a competent adult with full autonomy and HIPAA protection. The payer relationship does not transfer decision-making rights — the patient must authorize any disclosure to the mother.
• B. Paying for care does not confer the right to a competent adult's protected health information.
• C. An unnecessarily rigid approach — the patient may well consent to involving his mother, which serves everyone.
• D. Only the patient can consent to his own treatment.