AFFIRMATIVE — MEDICAL IDENTIFIERS 238

MEDICAL IDENTIFIERS WILL BE ABUSED BY GOVERNMENT

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS ACCESS TO PERSONAL MEDICAL RECORDS AND HISTORY SHOWS IT CANNOT BE TRUSTED WITH IT

Kelly Patricia O'Meara; Insight on the News, February 14, 2000, Pg. 18, TITLE: Public Comment on Medical Records // acs-EE2001

Naysayers who think of their relationship with their physician in the same vein as that of attorney/client and priest/parishioner complain that these proposed regulations are not only unconstitutional but also more than slightly hypocritical. For instance, they wonder how President Clinton can be so eager to adopt measures that will give him access to all personal medical information when he has refused to release his own medical records. And, despite government reassurances that information regarding individual medical records would be completely confidential, such assurances are a difficult pill to swallow given the history of the Clinton/Gore use of FBI and other confidential files.

FBI FILE SCANDAL SHOWS HOW MEDICAL RECORDS CAN BE ABUSED

Kelly Patricia O'Meara; Insight on the News, February 14, 2000, Pg. 18, TITLE: Public Comment on Medical Records // acs-EE2001

Those who fear their medical records could somehow be used against them make the point that the FBI still has been unable to ascertain how 408 FBI files on leading Republicans, all containing IRS documents, found their way seven blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue and into computers the White House apparently shared with the Democratic National Committee.

DNA DATABASES RISK GOVERNMENT ABUSES

Amy Argetsinger; Craig Whitlock, The Washington Post, March 24, 1999, SECTION: METRO; Pg. B01 TITLE: Md. Seeks The DNA Of Violent Criminals; Critics Cite Threat To Privacy Rights Web // acs-EE2001

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland plans to challenge the bill. Suzanne Smith, a lobbyist for the group, says the state has made a compelling argument for collecting DNA from sex offenders but has not justified its expansion of the program.

"Something as unique and personal and fragile as DNA should give great cause for concern," she said. "I don't think anyone should ever be comfortable that the government is collecting a database of personal information."