Statements for purposes of medical diagnosis or treatment describing medical history or symptoms fall under which hearsay exception?

• A. Records of a Regularly Conducted Activity
• B. Statements for purposes of medical diagnosis or treatment
• C. Present Sense Impression
• D. Excited Utterance

Answer: (B)

The key concept is a medical-diagnosis or treatment exception to hearsay. When a statement is made for the purposes of obtaining medical care, and it describes the patient’s medical history, symptoms, or the cause of the condition, it can be admitted as evidence even though it is hearsay. This rule recognizes that clinicians rely on what the patient says about past health, current symptoms, and relevant history to diagnose and treat, so these statements are considered trustworthy enough for medical purposes.

This is why the statement describing medical history or symptoms fits best. It directly matches the idea of information provided to a healthcare professional to aid in diagnosis or treatment. By contrast, records of regularly conducted activities involve business records with their own requirements; present sense impressions capture statements made about events as they occur, and excited utterances involve spontaneous statements made under stress—none of which hinge specifically on providing information for medical diagnosis or treatment.