Outsourcing And Medical Privacy

sfgate ^ | October 22, 2003 | sfgate

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"Your patient records are out in the open... so you better track that person and make him pay my dues."

A woman in Pakistan doing cut-rate clerical work for UCSF Medical Center threatened to post patients' confidential files on the Internet unless she was paid more money.To show she was serious, the woman sent UCSF an e-mail earlier this month with actual patients' records attached.

[Elliott Jackalope]

The rush to "outsource" our economy is not only driving costs down, it is also driving standards down. Standards of decency, rule of law, intellectual property rights, privacy and all-around fair play.

This whole "globalism" movement is nothing more than a global "race to the bottom", where the lowest common denominator of the world becomes the standard by which all human affairs are conducted.

The rush to embrace profits at any cost are going to result in costs to our nation and to our society that no sane person would ever want to pay.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

We haven't had any medical privacy in years.
Maybe this will wake somebody up, but don't hold your breath.

[Elliott Jackalope]

"profits at any cost are going" S/B profits at any cost IS going" - OOPS!

Need more coffee....

[dfwgator]

My guess is Al-Qaeda is no long focused on training their people to fly airplanes into buildings, they are now busy training agents to write software.

[brownsfan]

The rush to embrace profits at any cost are going to result in costs to our nation and to our society that no sane person would ever want to pay.

Hope you put on your asbestos pants! I agree with you 100%, but there are many trolls here who are going to light you up. I think the standard rant goes: "It's not government's job. It's capitalism. Go join the American hating left, (used on me today). What are you a communist?"

Henry Ford paid people so they could afford to buy a car. He became wildly weathy. When they succeed in driving things to the bottom, who but the wealthy will be able to buy anything other than basic needs?

[EdReform]

The rush to "outsource" our economy is not only driving costs down, it is also driving standards down. Standards of decency, rule of law, intellectual property rights, privacy and all-around fair play.

I agree. Not only are your medical records at risk, but your financial and other records as well.

I called my insurance company's customer support department about an issue a couple of years ago. I asked where the person I was talking to was located - she told me she was in Ireland.

[Elliott Jackalope]

I believe the problems resulting from this issue are becoming more and more self-evident. I've heard the arguments from the "free trade uber alles" crowd, and I'm also seeing that their support seems to be dwindling, and opposition seems to be growing. And this is on a conservative forum. I can only imagine how people on the rest of the political spectrum feel about this.

This issue is going to become THE issue of the next election, and I'm afraid that President Bush is going to find himself on the wrong side of it. If people want to flame me, that is their right. I'm a big boy, I've endured much, much worse in my life.

[brownsfan]

This issue is going to become THE issue of the next election, and I'm afraid that President Bush is going to find himself on the wrong side of it. If people want to flame me, that is their right. I'm a big boy, I've endured much, much worse in my life.

I agree on both counts. Being flamed isn't exactly like being beaten with a stick. But, ignorance is ignorance, and it can be annoying.
I believe the President is on the wrong side of this. The offshore outsourcing is in full swing with no apparent government attempt to stem the tide. Hence, the jobless recovery. On the other hand, I don't believe any of the democrats would do 1/2 as well in the war on terror. The Bush administration has done a very good job, and at this point has my vote on the basis of that. But, I'm not inflexible, if there is no progress in the coming months on trying to keep jobs, well, things change.

[Print]

My guess is Al-Qaeda is no long focused on training their people to fly airplanes into buildings, they are now busy training agents to write software.

Actually, this may not be very far from the truth.

[freeeee]

This whole "globalism" movement is nothing more than a global "race to the bottom", where the lowest common denominator of the world becomes the standard by which all human affairs are conducted.

With your permission I'd like to put that on my profile page.

[Print]

Agreed. Great line.

[Elliott Jackalope]

You have my permission. I would appreciate it if you would also credit me.

[Jim Noble]

This issue is going to become THE issue of the next election, and I'm afraid that President Bush is going to find himself on the wrong side of it.

You are exactly correct.

What people usually refer to as the "economy" is the sum of various interactions between people, mediated by their culture and their government.

Since there is no such thing as a world culture and there is no world government, the effort to create a "world economy" is bound to fail.

Bush and his fellow globalists are pursuing a mirage, and I fear they will pay the price.