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Science
Friday > Archives
> 1999
> June
> June 25, 1999:
Hour One: Medical Privacy
Lobbyists and legislators alike are rushing to try to please their constituents as several competing medical privacy bills move through Congress this month. Congress is required to act on some form of legislation dealing with the confidentiality of medical data before August 21, 1999. If Congress fails to enact legislation before then, Donna Shalala, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, may issue her own regulations. | It's a hotly contested issue on many sides. Privacy advocates and patients' rights supporters are angling for the toughest privacy standards possible, arguing that the increasing interconnectedness of computer networks and the rise of massive health care organizations could bring about a scenario that would make George Orwell proud. Insurers and some health care providers, on the other hand, argue that some sharing of information is essential to permit modern health care - that the days of medical records just being between you and your doctor just aren't around anymore. |  | There are three major bills dealing with medical privacy currently in the Senate: S. 573, sponsored by Senator Leahy of Vermont; S. 578, sponsored by Senator Jeffords of Vermont; and S. 881, sponsored by Senator Bennett of Utah. A companion bill to the Leahy legislation, HR 1057, has been introduced by Representative Markey of Massachusetts. While some provisions in the four bills are the same, there are several differences. Items under debate currently include how much access law enforcement officials should have to medical data, whether or not individual states can pass legislation that sets even tougher privacy standards than those in the federal legislation, and just how much sharing of medical information companies can do in the course of normal business operations.
On this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at some of the issues surrounding the debate - and take your views on the topic as well.
Guests:
Barry Steinhardt
Associate Director
American Civil Liberties Union
Washington, DC
Paul Clayton
Professor and Chair, Department of Medical Informatics
Director, Clinical Information Services
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
New York, NY
Kathleen Frawley
Vice President, Legislative and Public Policy Services
American Health Information Management Association
Washington, DC
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
American Civil Liberties Union: Privacy
Electronic Frontier Foundation: "Privacy - Medical & Psychiatric Records and Drug Testing" Archive
Electronic Privacy Information Center: Medical Record Privacy
Health Privacy Project
Association of American Medical Colleges: Issue Briefs: Confidentiality of Medical Records
American Health Information Management Association: Confidentiality of Medical Records
National Association of Insurance Commissioners: Welcome to the NAIC
National Coalition for Patient Rights
This segment produced by:
Annette Heist
Web producer:
Charles Bergquist
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