AFFIRMATIVE — MEDICAL — SIGNIFICANCE 219

COMPUTERIZATION MEANS MEDICAL FILES GO IN MANY DIRECTIONS

MEDICAL CARE FACILITIES, MANAGED CARE COMPANIES, AND INSURANCE COMPANIES ALREADY SHARE HUGE AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION

Julie Appleby, USA TODAY, March 23, 2000, SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 1A TITLE: File safe? Health records may not be confidential // acs-VT2001

Researchers, public health officials, police and others can get medical records. Apply for life insurance and your health problems might go on file at the Medical Information Bureau, an insurance industry clearinghouse with files on more than 15 million Americans and Canadians.

Insurers often demand detailed information from providers, including mental health counselors and doctors, in order to justify continued treatment.

"Managed care companies are requesting much more information than they need to make coverage decisions," including "comments about suicide attempts, extramarital affairs, job-related problems and drug or alcohol abuse," says Paul Appelbaum, vice president of the American Psychiatric Association.

COMPUTERIZATION OF MEDICAL FILES COMPOUNDS THE LOSS OF PRIVACY

Julie Appleby, USA TODAY, March 23, 2000, SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 1A TITLE: File safe? Health records may not be confidential // acs-VT2001

Although that's long been true, patient advocates now fear the growing use of computerized medical records compounds the loss of medical privacy.

"Once you put the medical record in a computer, it can wind up anywhere," says HMO industry critic Jamie Court of Consumers for Quality Care. "That's the direction we're going and it's frightening, especially when you talk about genetic information."