Your Confidential Medical Records Are an Open Book

NewsMax.com ^ | Monday, July 8, 2002 | Phil Brennan

[cva66snipe]

Why am I under spelling police arrest? Here it is to you in a simple form. The medication which she had previous reaction to {Prozac} can produce Serotonin Syndrome. That may have well been the reaction but most doctors are clueless to the problem. The doctor had no right to write it without patient consultation. The doctor had no right to refer it without patient knowledge. Walgreens and Eli Lilly are Schmucks as well for sending it.

If one type anti-depressant is mixed with another death can occur. Namely MOA inhibitors and SSRI's can not be used together. Some SSRI's as well if too much Serotonin is displaced from the stomach cavity to the brain causes Serotonin Syndrome.

[Robert A Cook PE]

The "privacy rule" allows/requires ANY federal or state official to get your medical records whenever they want them.

The rest of the 1500 pages merely conceal that little fact.

[DLfromthedesert]

According to Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, Mr. Cook is 100 % correct. HIPAA was a Teddy Kennedy creation supported by RINOS whose goal was to implement HillaryCare piece by piece.

The Feds have NO business in our health care. i hope LBJ is rotting in hell for starting this ball rolling.

[SierraWasp]

"Kennedy creation supported by RINOS"

Yes, she was Nancy Kasabaum! It was called the Kennedy/Kasabomb bill and it was an abortion! (and that's being polite, although a bit crude)

Our government is breaking faith with the people to a greater degree than all the Auditors and CEO's of American corporations put together!!! The press and all other media are the enablers!!!

It's getting as discouraging as when Jimmy Carter put the whole country into a FUNK!!!

[dalereed]

I haven't been to a doctor for anything but damage repair or a flight physical in over 50 years and with these new regs I hope that I stay healthy and don't ever have to see one again.

[Angelique]

I've been reading about this for several years now. The ramifications are far worse. Think about an employer. They would be the first to leap on this because of health insurance. We are becoming "commies."

[bonesmccoy]

Actually no. Because the gov't officials are treated at Bethesda's Naval Hospital, the database programs which are involved at Walgren's are unlikely to be collecting data at the pharmacy at the Naval Hospital.

[bonesmccoy]

The fact is that database data is being collected on prescriptions filled at pharmacies. But, the worse fact is that datawarehouses (1 or 2 in particular) are making money as intermediaries between health insurers and doctor's offices. Each time you visit your doctor's office, the office must submit the claim through the electronic datawarehouse. There are only a few datawarehouses in the country. So, basically, in order to get paid, the doctor MUST submit the claim through the datawarehouse. This data includes your identity, the duration of the visit, your specific diagnoses, tests ordered, and any special procedures done to treat your illness. The specificity of this data was determined by Clinton Administration regulations from the Health Care Finance Administration. These regulations specify that at any time any of your medical records MUST be available to gov't agents for review. These agents can do unannounced spot audits of medical charts in private physician offices. Multiple physician offices have been invaded by these federal agents and doctors continue to be threatened with JAIL TIME if they do not permit the review of these charts by federal agents.

These ridiculous threats are damaging the ability of doctors to help the American people. I find these threats to be testimony to the SOCIALISTIC intent of Hillary Clinton and the DNC. AAP clearly has supported these endeavors in an attempt to give legitimacy to the invasion of privacy by government.

[joeyman]

What's next will they institute the "KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER" program for banks?

Umm, that's already been done under the USA Patriot Act. Go look it up.

[Uncle Bill]

I know, you're shocked.

"Thanks to new federal regulations designed by President Clinton and backed by President Bush, all kinds of people can now access your most private medical records without your say-so,..

Bush told Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to allow the new rules to go into effect in April last year despite a storm of protests including the tens of thousands of readers who signed a NewsMax.com petition.."

"This is appalling in every possible way," Dr. Pearle told the Times. "It's an escalation of a deplorable practice."

..."It's being bought, sold and used like any other commodity," she said, referring to patients' medical information. "This has nothing to do with treating the patient. This has everything to do with generating profits."

And even more to do with the Bush administration's new rules that allow this sort of thing to happen without the patient giving permission to his or her doctor to release private medical data to every Tom, Dick and Harry."

"I believe privacy is a fundamental right, and that every American should have absolute control over his or her personal information."
George W. Bush - Associared Press - Oct 6, 2000.

Bush Administration Scraps Written Consent Forms That Would Have Been Required in Patient Privacy

[Askel5]

Lol!

Okay, well, in this instance I have been softened up for the blow to my solar plexus by a passing familiarity with the Healthcare Industry. =)

Thanks for the flag. Good night and God bless you, Uncle Bill.

[E.G.C.]

ftroop.... member since July 8th 2002.

[WaterDragon]

Once hospitals and doctors' offices computerized medical records it was a foregone conclusion that all semblance of privacy was gone.

Your best bet is to stay away from the medical profession.

[hankbrown]

The writer of this article has no idea what he is talking about. The regulations discussed put some restrictions on releasing medical information and are not operative yet. Health care providers have until April 2003 to comply. There are NO federal requirements now and the regulations contain no "sleeper" provision allowing health care people to sell medical records to marketing firms. Marketing can only be done directly to the patient and not to a private firm. The misinformation surrounding these regulations is based on the usual failure to read the laws before jumping to alarming conclusions.

[E.G.C.]

Here are my thoughts on this subject.

With all due respects to those are choosing to be so presumptous about Newsmax which quite frankly is a far better publication then the established media outlets, I myself, have read the new HIPAA rules in their entirety and based on that, I find Newsmax's analysis to be right on this and not disinformation as some would like us think.

I would just ask those who disagree with this analysis if they have read these new regulations and if so if they think it would be a good idea for goverment to look at their private medical records. This kind of goverment bereaucacy sounds a little reminiscent of some fella who ruled Gremany with an iron fist back in the 30's.

I would ask everyone to do their homework and look at thesethings before they start getting so presumptious about other people's analysis on isssues like this. I have and I know for a fact that Newsmax is right on this one.

Regards.

[Bonaparte]

Sad to say, pharmacists now routinely engage in the practice of medicine and it's quite dangerous. In the Kaiser system, for example, hospital pharmacists are permitted to adjust patient dosage of drugs like Coumadin based on whatever the current blood draws show.

[steve-b]

Thanks to new federal regulations designed by President Clinton and backed by President Bush

Meet the new boss....

[asformeandformyhouse]

Meet the new boss....

Same as it ever was!

[bonesmccoy]

I've not only read the law. I commented on proposed legislation PRIOR to passage by the Congress and Clinton White House. HIPAA is the worst piece of malarky that still exists from the Clinton era. It needs to be amended and code needs to be rewritten. You are patently incorrect about the resales of information to others. It is occuring and has been for some time.

[Mixer]

the form looks a lot like the junk mail inserts that come with your statement. So if you're not expecting it, it probably gets thrown out. What a scam.

That sure is a scam. But at least they are protected right? /sarcasm