Who pays for a minor's medical care and counseling

(a) If a minor consents to receive medical care and services, the spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian of the minor patient shall not be liable for the legal obligations resulting from the furnishing of medical care and services provided by the public or private hospital, public or private clinic, or licensed health care provider. A minor who consents to the provision of medical care and services under section 577A-2 shall assume financial responsibility for the costs of the medical care and services. Any other law to the contrary notwithstanding, no spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian whose consent has not been obtained or who has no prior knowledge that the minor has consented to the provision of the medical care and services shall be liable for the costs incurred by virtue of the minor's consent. (b) Medical care and services shall include individual counseling for each minor patient by a licensed health care provider. The counseling shall seek to open the lines of communication between parent and child. (c) A covered entity shall establish policies and procedures to ensure that minor-initiated medical care and services provided under section 577A-2 are not disclosed to the minor's spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian in accordance with federal regulations, including title 45 Code of Federal Regulations part 164, subpart E. The licensed health care provider may submit a claim to the covered entity for payment for the costs of minor-initiated medical care and services to the minor provided pursuant to section 577A-2. (d) If a claim for medical care or services obtained under this chapter is submitted to a covered entity under which a minor is enrolled, and the minor does not want the covered entity to disclose information regarding the claim to a spouse, parent, custodian, or guardian, the minor or licensed health care provider shall so notify the covered entity when the claim is submitted; provided that the licensed health care provider who provided the medical care and services to the minor may notify the covered entity on behalf of the minor. The covered entity may require that the request for confidential communication be made in writing and contain a statement that disclosure of all or part of the information to which the request pertains could harm the minor. The covered entity may accommodate requests by the minor or licensed health care provider to receive communications related to the medical care and services by alternative means or at alternative locations.