Subj: Medical Records Will Soon Be Accessed Without Consent
Date: 8/12/02 3:02:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: NewsAlert@ForHealthFreedom.org (Institute for Health Freedom)
Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:info@ForHealthFreedom.org">
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To: NewsAlert@ForHealthFreedom.org (Institute for Health Freedom)
For Release: August 12, 2002
Individuals Lose, Government and Corporations Gain Control over Personal
Health & Genetic Information
**Bush Administration Grants Data-Processing Companies and Other Health Care
Industries New Federal Regulatory Authority to Collect and Share Individuals’
Personal Health Information--Including Genetic Information--Without
Individuals’ Consent**
Washington, D.C.--On August 9, 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) announced it has revised the federal medical privacy rule
initially proposed by the Clinton Administration. HHS’s “Fact Sheet” admits
that the revised rule eliminates the existing standard whereby doctors must
get patients’ consent before releasing patients’ personal health
information--including genetic information--for treatment, payment or health
care operations (a broad definition encompassing many uses).
Rather than allowing individuals to decide who can see their medical records,
HHS is granting federal regulatory authority for data-processing companies,
insurers, some
researchers, government officials and others to access individuals’ personal
health information without individuals’ permission.
Additionally, when the rule takes effect in April 2003, individuals’ personal
health information can be transferred electronically over the Internet
without patients’ consent. But most Americans won’t know this is happening
because under the federal medical privacy rule, citizens will not get an
accounting of disclosures for routine uses of their personal health
information (for which the number of routine
uses is unlimited).
“HHS’s Fact Sheet about the federal medical privacy rule is very
misleading,” says Sue Blevins, president of the Institute for Health Freedom.
“That’s because while
claiming to be committed to ‘maintaining protections for the privacy of
individually identifiable health information,’ HHS’s privacy rule does not
prevent government or the medical industry from compiling and sharing
individuals’ personal health information--including genetic
information--without individuals’ permission. How can HHS say patients’
privacy is being enhanced when, in fact, HHS is actually granting legal
access to patients’ records without their consent?” She adds, “If Enron or
WorldCom executives had distorted the truth the way HHS officials have about
the federal medical privacy rule, they probably would be charged with false
advertising.”
“For the first time in our nation’s history, the federal government has
taken the patient out of the driver’s seat and given the medical industry
full access to individuals’ personal health information without individuals’
permission,” Blevins notes.
For information about health privacy issues and the Institute for Health
Freedom, visit
www.ForHealthFreedom.org .
ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND
MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS
OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.