Medical privacy

[Guest guest]

A friend got this from a " privacy advocate newsletter " If you have

concerns about

how your personal medical records are stored/shared... read

on...

 

Dear Privacy Advocate:

 

We have

an urgent request: Please pick up the

phone and call Congress today, or the

fight for medical

privacy could be lost. That is because the Health and

 

Human Services regulation that turns your medical data

over to the

government will go into effect permanently --

unless Congress passes HJR 38

by Friday, June 15.

 

Please read this short

memo, immediately take the

action at the bottom, then forward it to others

who might

be interested.

 

 

BACKGROUND:

On April 14, President Bush quietly

directed

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to

impose

the so-called " medical privacy regulations " that

were originally developed

by the Clinton administration.

Bush's maneuver came despite the fact that

the HHS had

been inundated with nearly 100,000 angry letters and

e-mails

from Americans around the country.

 

The most

dangerous aspect of this regulation --

and the one most overlooked in news

reports -- is that

for the first time the government, rather than patients

 

and doctors, would be in complete control of your

private medical

records. That's because the regulation

forces doctors and hospitals to share

all electronic

medical records with the government for a variety of

 

vague purposes, such as to " streamline medical billing

procedures " or

for " public health surveillance. " Then the

government, rather than

individual patients, will decide

who gets to see them.

 

 

No wonder Americans are so

worried. This

regulation, which was published in the Federal Register

on

December 28, 2000, would:

 

* Give dozens of

government agencies and thousands

of bureaucrats

access to your medical records --

including the

private notes of a psychotherapist

-- without

your consent.

* Let government agencies share your

records with

marketing companies. The rules

specifically allow

pharmacies to share

prescription records " for the

purpose of

marketing health-related products and

services "

without your consent.

* Do nothing to prevent the

government from

accessing your DNA information

and transferring

it to " third

parties. "

* Permit police agencies to access medical

records

without a search warrant.

 

* Allow private insurance companies to compile the

 

medical information into a database.

 

* Prevent patients involved in health research

 

projects from accessing their own medical records

 

in some cases.

 

How would you

like a prospective employer to know

if you have a " genetic predisposition "

to contract a serious

-- and expensive -- illness?

 

 

What if an acquaintance who worked for an insurance

company or

government agency could read the private notes of

your psychotherapist, or

find out if you have ever undergone

drug or alcohol treatment?

 

 

Would you want others to know whether you've had an

 

abortion or been treated for an embarrassing disease?

 

All of those things could happen if this Clinton-Bush regulation

is

allowed to stand.

That's why it's so

important to pick up the phone

and call your U.S. representative today. If

we can't get

Congress to vote on HJR 38 by Friday, you can kiss your

 

medical privacy goodbye!

 

WHAT TO

DO:

Call your U.S. House representative

immediately at

202-225-3121 or 202-224-3121 to request an immediate vote on

 

House Joint Resolution 38 (HJR 38). This measure, sponsored

by U.S. Rep.

Ron Paul of Texas, declares that the HHS

regulation " shall have no force or

effect. "

 

WHAT TO

SAY:

(1) Identify yourself and let them know you

are a

voter in their district. Leave your name, address, complete

with

ZIP code, and phone number. Please be brief, especially

if you are leaving a

message.

(2) Ask them to tell House Speaker

Dennis Hastert to

schedule an immediate vote on HJR 38. Let them know that

this

measure must pass Congress by Friday -- or the HHS rules will

 

remain in effect.

(3) Ask them to vote *YES*

on HJR 38. Then ask for a

letter confirming their position.

 

 

Is there anything else you can do? Yes! Please

forward

this E-mail to a friend, and ask them to call their

representative as

well.

Thank you for your help!

 

Sincerely,

Steve Dasbach

 

National Director

 

Libertarian Party

 

 

 

 

--- Lilla Luoma

 

--- lillabell

 

For great low cost vitamins check out the Generic Co-op (a site (sight)

with heart)

 

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=12054

 

Free supplements to cancer patients and the poor.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

If anyone is interested, below

is the website with more info and a form

generator to send your email

letter directly to your representative. Quick

and easy.

 

http://www.DefendYourPrivacy.com/

 

 

 

 

 

--- Lilla Luoma

 

--- lillabell

 

For great low cost vitamins check out the Generic Co-op (a site (sight)

with heart)

 

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?AFID=12054

 

Free supplements to cancer patients and the poor.