PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, February 20, 2002

Citizens’ Council on Health Care

1954 University Ave. W., Suite 8

St. Paul, MN  55104

CONTACT:Twila Brase, R.N., President

 

 

MN Senate Committee Approves Health Surveillance

and Health Care Rationing

St. Paul, Minnesota - Despite civil liberty concerns expressed by several citizens and one citizen health policy group, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Minnesota Health Powers Act last night.

“The health department’s push for health surveillance and state control over the provision of health care services is very concerning,” says Twila Brase, president of Citizens’ Council on Health Care (CCHC), who testified on the bill.

Senate File 2669, authored by Sen. Hottinger (D-Mankato) has been drastically reduced in size and scope from the original bill.  However, CCHC says it continues to provide funding for surveillance activities and authorizes health officials to “commandeer” medical supplies, health care facilities, and private homes and vehicles during a public health emergency.

Brase notes the bill’s nearly $2.7 million appropriated to the Minnesota Department of Health for “terrorism preparedness, including planning, early detection, training, and response.” These terms are not defined in the proposed legislation.

“Given state and federal surveillance initiatives, we believe “early detection” means health surveillance. What kind and to what extent is our only question.” Says Brase.

Minnesota has received $17.9 million from the federal government for activities that include “Communication systems that provide a 24/7 flow of critical health information between hospital emergency departments, State and local health officials, and law enforcement,” according to a January 31 press release from the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Fourth Amendment rights are at stake. Ongoing government surveillance of individually-identifiable patient data without a search warrant would be an infringement of civil rights.”

Other controversial issues of forced vaccination, medical examination, specimen collection and treatment, and physician immunity when operating under state directives will be addressed in a study to be completed by January 15, 2003. To be certain constitutional issues identified by testifiers are addressed in the study, Senator Limmer (R-Maple Grove) successfully amended language onto the bill to require that, for each recommendation of the study, health officials “delineate and describe” implications for constitutional and other rights.

“Although we’re very pleased by the Limmer amendment, if the bill passes the Legislature in its current form the amendment will have no impact on the health care rationing and surveillance powers that remain in the bill,” says Brase.

 

CCHC is an independent non-profit free-market health care policy organization located in St. Paul, Minnesota

 

 

 

Citizens’ Council on Health Care

1954 University Ave.W., Suite 8

St. Paul, MN  55104

651-646-8935 phone

651-646-0100 fax

 

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