Administration Sets Forth a Limited View on Privacy

[Khephra]

Administration Sets Forth a Limited View on Privacy
By ROBERT PEAR and ERIC LICHTBLAU

Published: March 6, 2004


WASHINGTON, March 5 — In a sharp departure from its past insistence on the sanctity of medical records, the Bush administration has set forth a new, more limited view of privacy rights as it tries to force hospitals and clinics to turn over records of hundreds and perhaps thousands of abortions.

Federal law "does not recognize a physician-patient privilege," the Justice Department said last month in court papers that sought abortion records from Planned Parenthood clinics in California, Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York City and Washington. Moreover, the department said in another abortion case, patients "no longer possess a reasonable expectation that their histories will remain completely confidential."

Health lawyers and privacy experts said that position reflected a significant shift after six years in which Bush and Clinton administration officials had promised to strengthen the confidentiality of medical records.

Two federal judges have also expressed alarm over the government position. The latest blow to the government was on Friday, when a federal district judge in San Francisco denied a demand by the Justice Department for access to abortion records from a public hospital there and from six Planned Parenthood affiliates in the county.

more.................

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/06/politics/06PRIV.html

[Seldona]

1. Why? Because they say so?

Is this true? Federal law does not acknowledge the physician patient privilege?

Scary. Very scary.

[efhmc]

4. Have a friend who used to be a Fed. investigator and he says that this

is not new and under federal law you have the right to go after any an all records and that includes medical. (He is a liberal and we were talking about rush' records, actually. I was arguing that any drug matter would be a federal matter.) What I am wondering is how this (I.E.:women's abortion records. Are they terrorists?)has become a Federal matter?

[Occulus]

2. I BEG your pardon, Mr. Ashcroft?

"Federal law "does not recognize a physician-patient privilege," the Justice Department said last month in court papers that sought abortion records from Planned Parenthood clinics in California, Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York City and Washington."

Think about this statement made by the DOJ for a moment:

Federal law does not recognize a physician-patient privilege.


Scary.

[RC]

3. Federal law

is a pseudonym for john asskroft?
On a side note, I wonder how addictive his pain killers are? I bet he is very comfortable.