Medical privacy? You jest

[twaddler01]

(Thought this was interesting, it was in an email from my parents)



Medical privacy? You jest

By DEBORAH C. PEEL
Special to the Star-Telegram

How many times have you walked into a doctor's office, signed a privacy notice and worried you signed away important medical privacy rights? Let me put your mind at ease: You didn't. You don't have any medical privacy rights in the first place. Signing the form is a farce.

In 2003, without fanfare or publicity, the Bush administration amended the federal medical privacy rule known as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), allowing the prying eyes of any health-related business to read your medical records, any time they want, without your knowledge or permission.

Now President Bush tells us in his State of the Union Address that -- thanks to his leadership -- Congress is poised to pass legislation to put every American's medical records online so they can be zapped around the world via a national electronic health network without the delay and fuss of photocopying and snail mail.

The bill isn't a bad idea. We need a more efficient way to move and share medical records to improve the quality of our healthcare and reduce costs. But an electronic system to handle the most sensitive information must be built with patient control of who sees and uses that information.

MORE:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/13791667.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[rodeodance]

1. will put a chilling effect on what people discuss with their physicians in

many cases.

[Daphne08]

2. Do we have NO privacy left in this country? n/t

[Quakerfriend]

3. Thank you for posting this. I tell people all the time- Since

Clinton left office we have virtually no medical privacy.

Funny though, the MDs used the HIPPA laws to try and block me from obtaining my own mothers medical records- at the point when she needed me most- demented, scared and confused- despite the fact that I was her POA.

The ambulance transport crew gave me a copy, by accident. I was thankfully able to help her from there.

[ThomCat]

4. Those of us with large medical files know this.

Our medical records get shared all over the place and people make decisions about out based on this stuff. Whether we like it or not. Requesting that records not be shared except with your writen permission doesn't work. They ignore your request.

If I ever leave my current job, I don't know if I'll be able to get another one. I know HR departments are going to be seeing more and more of this stuff. People with disabilities are going to be the first people weeded out.

[Warpy]

5. It's a bigger farce than you know, since medical records are now

being transcribed and often stored electronically in India, a country that has NO medical privacy laws whatsoever. There have already been a couple of cases of extortion by Indian vendors over medical records and their contents, and I'm sure more will follow.

However, the HIPAA regulations have effectively sealed family members off from their loved ones' records, whether or not they carry the medical power of attorney. This may have been the intent, all along.

[LeftCoast]

6. Twaddler01 - DU has rules regarding copyright

Please be aware that DU copyright rules require that excerpts of copyrighted material be limited to four paragraphs. Thanks!

[twaddler01]

7. Updated it

Sorry about that!