Minors’ Rights to Health Care, sponsored by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in partnership with cartoonist Jerry Craft, provides teens, parents, caregivers and health care providers with a list of services that teens can get on their own. The poster also includes the Health Care Bill of Rights for DC Teens.

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Just like everyone else, it is often difficult for medical providers to talk about important and sensitive topics with teens. For doctors, nurses, as well as receptionists and medical technicians (anyone a teen may speak with when getting health care), it is important for them to put their adolescent patients at ease when receiving health care. If teens feel comfortable with their health care providers, this relationship can reduce risky behaviors, help teens make healthy decisions, and prevent chronic health problems.

DC Campaign offers a free, in-house training for health care staff to assist medical offices in being more teen-friendly. To discuss a training, call Brenda Rhodes Miller at 202-789-4666 extension 11 or e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A few tips to make your practice more teen-friendly:

• Stress the importance of preventative care;
• In the District of Columbia, teens can consent for:
  • contraception services
  • prenatal care
  • STI/HIV services
  • alcohol and/or drug abuse treatment
  • outpatient mental health services
• Encourage teens to involve their families in health care decisions, but guarantee confidentiality;
• Maintain information on other health, social and educational programs that meet the physical and mental health needs of teens;
• Have teen magazines and teen-related brochures on display in your waiting rooms; and
• Always look for opportunities to emphasize the need for teens to make healthy choices.

As young people become adults, age appropriate health care can reduce risky behaviors, create sound health care practices, and prevent unintended pregnancies. Therefore, public and private health care providers have a special obligation to reach out to adolescents to provide health care education and preventive services.

While quality health care can help adolescents lead healthier lives and postpone pregnancy, adolescents in general use health care services less than any other age group. To help teens get the health care they need, DC Campaign consulted extensively with teens, parents, experienced adolescent health care physicians in the District, the D. C. Department of Health, and Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to identify solutions to help adolescents become good health care consumers.

The Realty Store is a simulation game in which students identify their career interests, receive a month's earnings, and receive a mock checkbook with the monthly income entered for the specific career.  While visiting booths staffed by volunteers, teens pay their monthly bills.  At each booth, student make decisions concerning the standard of living they want.  For example, at the housing booth, which may be staffed by a realtor, students decide if they want to pay for a one-bedroom efficiency apartment or a five-bedroom home, depending upon their monthly income.

If a player runs out of money before he/she completes their trip through the Reality Store, they get a change to go back and reconsider some of their decisions about their lifestyle, their job selection, or the size of their family. The Reality Store experience helps teens learn about daily living expenses.  They also realize that getting an education, making good decisions and planning are components of success.