LETTERS: ACT NOW TO PROTECT MEDICAL PRIVACY

To the editor:

Do you want the government to have full access to your medical records? If not, then it is time to speak up. The deadline for public comment on the so-called medical privacy regulations has been extended to Feb. 17.

It is important to know that there is no privacy or confidentially in these regulations. Rather, they propose to give unprecedented federal authorization to intrude in medical records. As the regulations are written, they would give access to your medical records to government officials, researchers, the police and others without your consent.

Government health databases would be permissible. Doctors and clinics wouldn't even be allowed to ask for your consent. The regulations also would give health plans the right to use your medical data for prior authorizations, utilization review, physician profiles, patient profiles, research, creation of practice guidelines and various tracking tactics for disease management. The regulations claim to offer four new patient rights, but how can there be rights when they are based on conditions? These so-called rights would give you permission to inspect, copy and amend your records that is, if your health plan says it is OK for you to do so. You would be allowed to see some, but not all, of the names of those who have seen your medical records..

The regulations do not mandate disclosure of your medical records, but they give permission for health plans, health-care practitioners and data clearing houses to disclose your intimate information without your consent.

You can write your comments now. Remember, it was the massive outpouring of public comments that shut down the national ID proposal in 1998 when 350,000 people wrote saying that it was a bad idea and 3,000 wrote that it was a great idea.

Tell them what you think about virtually unlimited access to your medical records, conditional rights, medical research without consent, violation of the Fourth Amendment (no search or seizure of personal effects without a warrant), possible discriminatory behavior by the police, violation of the doctor's Hippocratic Oath, accumulation of evidence without a warrant and government databases. You can write to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Attention: Privacy-P Room G-322A

Hubert H. Humphrey Building

200 Independence Ave. SW

Washington, D.C 20201

CHRISTINE E. STEPHENS

Cape Girardeau