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For Immediate Release: February 6, 2001
Contact: Sue Blevins
Senate to Hold “Public” Hearing on Final Medical Privacy Rule:
Will True Privacy Advocates Voices Be Heard?
Washington, D.C.—On Thursday, February 8, the U.S. Senate Committee
on Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) will hold a “public” hearing on
the final federal medical privacy rule.
It will be Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s first HELP Committee hearing
on specific policy issues. Invited witnesses
include representatives from government, health insurance and medical
industries, and advocates supportive of the former Administration’s medical
privacy rule (announced on December 20, 2000).
“It is not clear whether the Senate HELP Committee is
giving the public adequate time to learn about this important hearing, to draft
questions for their Senators to ask of selected witnesses, or to submit their
own written testimony for the record,” said Sue Blevins, president of the Institute
for Health Freedom (IHF).
Blevins stressed, “I don’t think the invited witness list represents
the American public’s views on medical privacy.” Her assertion is based on a
national Gallup survey commissioned by IHF.
The survey found that 78 percent of Americans are very concerned about
the confidentiality of their medical records.
The survey also found that a majority of Americans oppose allowing third
parties-including government agencies-access to their medical records without
the patient’s consent. “Yet, the final
medical privacy rule actually gives the federal government a massive new power
to access everyone’s medical records-without the patient’s consent-in order to
monitor the patient’s medical privacy,” Blevins said. “Under the new rule, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services will have unfettered access to every doctor’s office and his or her
patients’ records without a subpoena, in order to monitor Americans’
privacy. I don’t think the public would
agree with this massive government power, if they knew about it.”
“Most of the special interest groups working with Congress
and the federal government on privacy issues actually have a vested interest in
securing unfettered access to individuals’ personal health records, including
their genetic information. Let’s hope
the Senate HELP Committee will give the American public an equal opportunity
and plenty of time to submit their written testimony for the record,’ said
Blevins.
The national Gallup survey on medical privacy can be accessed
at the following Web site: www.ForHealthFreedom.org/Gallupsurvey.
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