Something slightly ridiculous happens when your child turns 14 in Australia. One minute you’re reminding them to brush their teeth for the 2346th time, the next minute Medicare is treating them as an adult. Wait, wait? They’re still a tiny baby, right?
The health privacy rights that kick in at age 14 catches a lot of parents out. When your kid turns 14, you no longer automatically have online access to their Medicare claims history or immunisation history statement. They also take control of their My Health Record, and parents or guardians are automatically removed as authorised representatives.
Yes, even if they still need you to find their socks, sign their school permission slips and explain why drinking milk straight from the carton is not “basically the same thing” as using a glass.
So, while they can’t seem to do most of the life’s basic admin, they can be in charge of their own health choices.
As crazy as that seems, there’s good reason for it.
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Why does Medicare access change at 14?
The simple answer is privacy. From 14, young people are given more control over their own health information. It means the system recognises they may need some confidential space to talk to doctors about things like mental health, sexual health, family issues, alcohol or drugs, without feeling like Mum or Dad will automatically see every claim or record.
It defines the legal rights of a competent minor to seek medical care without a parent or guardian’s knowledge or consent.
I know from experience that this can feel confronting. Honestly, our kids’ mental and physical health is everything, so it can feel like being unexpectedly sacked from a job you’ve been doing for the past 14 years. But do bear in mind that this change helps teenagers build privacy, trust, independence and responsibility for their own health.
What changes when your child turns 14?
1. You lose online access to your child’s Medicare claims history
Once your child turns 14, you can no longer view their Medicare claims history online through your own Medicare account. Parents can request their child’s Medicare claims history via form MS031, but it’s no longer sitting there for you to casually check.
2. You lose access to your child’s immunisation history statement
You also lose automatic access to your child’s immunisation history statement from the Australian Immunisation Register. Your child can view it through their own Medicare online account via myGov or the myGov app.
This matters for school, sport, travel and some work or study situations, so it’s worth helping them understand where to find it before everyone is in a panic when the school’s vaccine program rolls around.
3. Your child takes control of their My Health Record
If your child has a My Health Record, they become responsible for managing it from age 14. Parents and other representatives are removed from the record, meaning you can no longer access it from your own myGov account.
Your teen can choose to give you access again as a nominated representative, but that’s entirely their choice.
4. Your child can manage their own record
From 14, your teenager can take control of an existing My Health Record, register for one if they don’t already have one, nominate someone they trust to help manage it or cancel their record.
Your step-by-step Medicare admin checklist
Before the system wipes your access, it’s a good idea to get your child set up, ready to go.
Step 1: Talk about it before their birthday
Don’t wait until you need a vaccination record urgently. A few weeks before your teen turns 14, explain that health privacy rules are changing.
Try: “When you turn 14, Medicare gives you more privacy over your health info. That doesn’t mean I don’t care or be there for you. It just means we need to work out how we’ll handle appointments and records together.”
Step 2: Help them set up myGov access
Your teen may need their own myGov account linked to Medicare so they can access their Medicare information. Yes, it’s a dull admin job that a teen treats like punishment for being alive, but it’s worth calmly doing together before it’s urgent.
Step 3: Show them where to find immunisation records
Sit with them and show them how to access their immunisation history statement. Don’t just work the app for them, make them click the actual buttons so it fully registers.
Step 4: Talk about My Health Record access
Ask whether they’re comfortable giving you access as a nominated representative. Explain why it may help, especially if they have ongoing health issues, medications, allergies, disability, neurodivergence or mental health support needs. This is confirmation for them that it’s their choice, their decision, but you’ll always be there to support them if they need it.
Step 5: Set up Medicare banking details
If they prefer, they can link their Medicare account to their own bank account to receive their claims privately. Once they are 15 years or older they can get their own Medicare number and card (sorry, I have no idea why they’re not eligible at 14 years, either).
Step 6: Check in regularly
Even if your child decides they don’t want you to be a nominated representative, your job is still to provide support. Check in with them regularly to ensure they are staying on top of niggles and worries. Help them book a GP appointment if needed and definitely at least once a year for an annual check-up.
What if your child still needs help?
Some 14-year-olds are nowhere near ready to manage the mountain that is health admin (let’s face it, many adults struggle with this). They’ll want the privacy, but they won’t be able to keep up with making the appointments, organising payment, working through prescriptions and all the things.
If your child is in charge but appears to lack the capacity to manage their own My Health Record, you could encourage them to list you as their authorised representative again, but this still needs to be their decision.
For most kids, though, this will be less about gaining legal control and more about coaching them through all the necessaries. Think of it as just another moment in the teen years where you’re moving from manager to mentor.
We know that as parents, our job changes as our kids grow. In this case, we’re here to help them understand the system, encourage them to speak up in appointments and advocate for themselves, make sure they know how to find and keep on top of their health records and keep the door open for honest conversations.
No doubt 14 may seem young for this level of responsibility, and in many ways it is, but this is one of those growing-up moments where we get to teach our kids that their body, their health and their voice are entirely their own.
How to stay involved without taking over
The best way to stay informed is to build trust before you need it. Ask your teen how they want health appointments handled. Do they want you to make the appointment? Do they want you to go with you to the appointment? Do they want you in the room? For the whole appointment? Just the start? Waiting outside unless they ask?
You can say: “I’m happy to come in, wait outside, or step out for part of it. I want you to feel comfortable talking honestly with your doctor.”
This tells them two things: you respect their privacy, and you are still available.
It’s also okay to explain your side: “I don’t need to know every tiny detail, but I would still like to know enough to keep you safe and support you properly.”
With a bit of luck, the legal change Medicare throws at your kid at 14 might just be the making of them…
Medicare card photo created in Canva; girl in hoodie image by cottonbro studio; 14 with smiley by Peter Dyllong
