Getting important medical information on college-aged kids was perhaps once thought of as nothing more than a permission slip parents used to sign. On the contrary, they are far more important, and its not the parents doing the signing now. Doctors or other medical personnel have the right to withhold information from parents due to the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, otherwise known as HIPAA. HIPAA authorizationA student signing a HIPAA authorization form allows medical personnel to disclose health information to anyone specified, whether its a parent or another adult. Students can stipulate not to have certain information disclosed that they want to keep private, such as mental health, drugs or sex.