The U.S. government is spending billions of dollars to help move everyone’s health care records onto electronic databases. But you do not own your data, someone else does. It’s time we changed this.
The Problem
The U.S. government is spending billions of dollars to help move everyone’s health care records onto electronic databases. There are many good things about this: electronic health care records can be accessed from anywhere, they take up less physical space and they are very portable.
However, with these benefits come severe privacy concerns as well. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (or HIPAA, for short) claims to protect your medical data from probing eyes. The problem is, its language is weak. Your records are already an open book to millions of providers, employers, government agencies, insurance companies, billing firms, transcription services, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical companies, data miners, creditors and more. This is considered “routine” use, and is not covered by HIPAA.
In fact, in 2002 HHS actually amended the HIPAA “Privacy Rule” to eliminate the patient’s “right of consent” altogether. So, you do not own your data, someone else does. It’s time we changed this.
The Solution
There is only one solution: We, as individuals, must insist on the right to control our own e-health records. Not only must the “right of consent” be reinstituted by law, but wide-ranging privacy protections must be put in place as well. We must have the right not merely to “opt-out” of any requests for our health information, but to “opt-in” to data sharing only when we choose to do so.
You Can Help
- Raise awareness of this vital cause. Spread around our video. Educate yourself and your friends on HIPAA and the laws that deal with it.
- Support legislation that supports medical privacy. Contact your senator or congressman and demand that this important issue be addressed
- And, as always, we need your support and donations so that we can continue this vital work.
