Teen access: FAQ

Teens ages 13 through 17 can have their own online medical record accounts at kp.org/wa and the Kaiser Permanente Washington mobile app. Starting June 14, 2022, teens can view most of their medical records including visit notes and after-visit summaries, procedures, immunization records, results, and letters.

Teens may also get a verified account. See more information below to see if this is an appropriate account for you

You can send secure messages to your primary care team.

These messages are saved in your chart and are visible to other members of your health care team. You can decide whether or not to include your parents on your messages.

If your parents (or other legal medical guardians) have access to your chart through a parent (proxy) account, you and your parents or guardians are automatically selected when you start a message. If you want your message to be between just you and your health care provider, you can unselect your parents or guardians on your message to send it privately to your health care provider.

NOTE: When sending a message from your mobile device using the Kaiser Permanente Washington app, select the “Visible to:” field where you can decide whether or not to keep your parents/guardians selected.

You will need your member ID to create your account. You can find this on your insurance card or any after-visit summary from care at Kaiser Permanente Washington.

Register online at kp.org/wa.

1. Click “Register” on the upper right corner
2. Click “Create my account”
3. Select the Washington region, enter your Medical Record Number, first and last name, and birth date
4. Agree to the site Terms and Conditions
5. Choose a User ID (6 to 50 characters with no spaces or punctuation marks) and provide your email address. Members cannot use their member ID#/medical record# as their User ID
6. Click "Next" to confirm your identity by mail.
7. Confirm the mailing address we have for you on record is correct, then click "Next."
8. When you receive the mail after about 3-7 days, enter your user ID and temporary password, and sign in.
9. After signing in, follow the instructions to create a new password.

After you have successfully confirmed your identity, you can start using your new account by signing in at kp.org/wa or through the Kaiser Permanente Washington mobile app.

After you turn 13, you can ask your health care provider to keep your information related to reproductive or sexual health, mental health, or substance use care confidential. This includes upcoming appointments and also notes that you’ve asked your provider to keep confidential. Information marked by your health care provider as confidential is NOT visible to your parent or legal guardian.

Your parent or legal guardian cannot send a secure message to a reproductive health care or mental health care provider (unless you have asked that provider to send a secure message to your parent first). Parents also can't see any records of HPV immunizations or any lab results or medications related to reproductive or sexual health, mental health, or substance use (unless YOU ask us to make them visible).

If your parents already had online access to your record when you were under age 13, they will continue to have access to most — but not all (see above) — of your record.

Parents do not need their teen's permission to view non-confidential visit notes, letters, after-visit summaries, immunizations (except HPV), and lab results or to refill non-confidential medications, see and send secure messages to your primary care provider and most other health care providers you have seen (except those whom you've seen only for confidential reproductive or sexual health or mental health care).

When you turn 18, your account automatically transitions to include all the features and services available to adult members. At age 18, privacy laws make all information confidential between you and your health care team. A parent or guardian can't access health information for dependents who are 18 and older, except in very limited cases, such as an adult whose intellectual disability requires them to have a legal guardian.

Almost all health care services require parental consent, but teens 13 and older can consent to their own health care for mental health care including substance use, and for reproductive and sexual health. However, you can always involve your parents in ALL your health care decisions if you choose to — most teens do!

When you turn 13, bills for confidential care go to your home address, addressed to you as the patient. You can request that these bills be sent to a different address. You can give the scheduler this alternate address when you make the appointment or give it to your clinician when you come to your appointment.

If you have questions related to your ability to pay for confidential services, talk to your health care team. We are committed to your health and will not let your ability to pay stand in the way of you getting the care you need. You can also get your questions answered by calling Member Services at 1-888-901-4636 (TTY 1-800-377-3529 or 711).

Teen accounts are limited to help protect your privacy and to be in line with Washington state law. A teen account created online will have limited access to a number of online features. However, teens do have the option of creating a verified account, which can allow access to more of your health care information.

All teen accounts start off without a verified status. This protects confidential health care information by not making it accessible through your online account, in case anyone other than you has access to your account. A teen verified account will have access to all your health care information, including confidential information such as reproductive health and mental health care.

Teen accounts automatically protect confidential health information unless you create a verified account. Creating a teen verified account comes with a greater level of responsibility and is not appropriate in all situations. For example, for a verified account, you — and only you — should have the sign-in and password information.

The choice to set up a teen verified account is one made between you and your primary care provider during one-on-one time together, either during an in-person or video visit. If you and your provider decide that a verified account is right for you, your provider will be able to help you set this up. Please note that creating a verified account comes with a greater level of responsibility for you to keep your account secure and private.

Most of your health care requires your parent or legal guardian to be involved. However, in Washington state, teens can get sexual or reproductive health care on their own, and mental health and substance use care starting at age 13. When you get care on your own, the medical records, labs, and bills should be kept confidential — private between you and your care team. You can tell the scheduler that you need an appointment to be confidential at the time you set it up, and you can tell your health care provider during the appointment.

If your health care provider is worried about your safety, they will talk with you first about how to involve an adult in your life.