AFFIRMATIVE — MEDICAL — SIGNIFICANCE 218
MEDICAL RECORDS CURRENTLY CIRCULATE FREELY
MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS CAN GET ACCESS TO YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS
CHARLES J. SYKES, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, November 14, 1999, SECTION: Crossroads Pg. 1 TITLE: PRIVATE MATTERS Who has access to your medical files? // acs-EE2001
Bizarrely, federal law protects the privacy of the videos you rent but provides no protection for your most sensitive personal medical data.
Indeed, on a routine basis, a short list of those who might have access to a medical file would include HMOs, insurance companies, private and public databases, state health organizations, marketing firms, researchers, pharmacists, hospital workers and employers.
MEDICAL INFORMATION ABUSE IS WIDESPREAD
THE BALTIMORE SUN, November 8, 1999, SECTION: EDITORIAL ,10A TITLE: Taking steps to curb health record // acs-EE2001
Abuses are prevalent: Pharmacy chains have sold patient information to drug makers to be used for direct marketing of medicines to those patients. Insurance representatives have advised employers of employees with costly medical problems. Banks have denied loans based on medical information about the loan applicants. Health care systems have posted patient files on the Internet, available to all.
MANY SOURCES CAN ABUSE CURRENT MEDICAL RECORDS
THE KANSAS CITY STAR, November 3, 1999 SECTION: OPINION; Pg. B8, TITLE: Safeguards on privacy must be tighter // acs-EE2001
For Americans who don't like the idea of having their private medical records opened to indiscriminate scrutiny by curious strangers and companies, one of the most disappointing congressional failures in recent years has been in medical privacy.
The abuse of these records can come from unethical health-care organizations, misguided employers and potential employers, sleazy marketing operations and - last but certainly not least - free-lance Peeping Toms.
MEDICAL RECORDS CURRENTLY CIRCULATE FREELY
JANE E. ALLEN, Los Angeles Times, February 8, 1999, SECTION: Health; Part S; Page 1; TITLE: A NEW PUSH IS ON FOR PATIENTS' PRIVACY LAW// acs-EE2001
It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your medical records are?
You might think they're snug in some folder at your doctor's office. But with computerization and growth of the Internet, sensitive information about your medical history can turn up in places you'd never imagine, read by people you've never met.
When a patient visits a doctor, goes to a laboratory for tests, enters a hospital or fills a prescription, that generates a stream of electronic and paper records. All or part of those records may find their way to insurance companies, drug manufacturers, government health regulators, public health agencies, hospital accreditation and quality assurance agencies, and employers seeking to monitor their workers' use of medical benefits.
PATIENT INFORMATION IS NO LONGER REALLY CONFIDENTIAL
Julie Appleby, USA TODAY, March 23, 2000, SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 1A TITLE: File safe? Health records may not be confidential // acs-VT2001
Most patients assume that what they tell their doctor is confidential.
But it might not be.
Blame the loss of privacy on the Internet or on the growing use of computer records. Blame it on cost-conscious managed-care insurance companies that demand justification for treatment. Blame it on a desire to reduce medical errors.
Just don't assume that no one knows about your health except you.
PSYCHOTHERAPISTS ARE ASKED TO DIVULGE LARGE AMOUNTS OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION
CHARLES J. SYKES, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, November 14, 1999, SECTION: Crossroads Pg. 1 TITLE: PRIVATE MATTERS Who has access to your medical files? // acs-EE2001
Even psychotherapists are required to report details of their treatment to insurers -- and the more details they provide, the more likely their patients are to get coverage and the therapists to get paid. This means that therapists are asked to divulge extraordinarily sensitive information about the mental state of their patients to insurers: Are they depressed? Are they victims of incest? Do they have dangerous fantasies?