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"The phone calls were part Big Brother, part benevolent parent. When a rare ice storm threatened New Orleans in January, some residents heard from a city official who had gained access to their private medical information. Kidney dialysis patients were advised to seek early treatment because clinics would be closing. Others who rely on breathing machines at home were told how to find help if the power went out.
Those warnings resulted from vast volumes of government data. For the first time, federal officials scoured Medicarehealth insurance claims to identify potentially vulnerable people and share their names with local public health authorities for outreach during emergencies and disaster drills."
While this has more to do with gubmint interference than with preparedness per se, it brings to light a troubling tendency to use new technology to invade the privacy of citizens for purposes that seem well-intentioned to some, but have the possibility (likelihood?) of being used for other, more sinister motives -- and you can be sure that money and/or control would be behind that.
Today, those who are not on Medicare may heave a sigh of relief that they are spared this intrusion, but the truth is that anyone who uses medical insurance bears the same vulnerability to intrusive record-keeping and monitoring as those on Medicare. All sorts of databases are being set up now...they know who uses which medical providers, who takes which medications, who has which devices. There is no such thing as privacy any longer. Patients are now routinely questioned about firearm ownership, sexual preference and other matters that supposedly pertain to their "health".
We all need to ask ourselves if it is worth this loss of privacy to avoid paying the doctor bill for a visit (when did people begin to think they should not pay for this service?), or putting a relatively inexpensive prescription drug (esp generic) on insurance. I know several people who argue with conviction that they should not have to pay a nickel for medical care because "that's why I pay for insurance coverage." Well, duh. Do they use their homeowners policy when a shingle blows off the roof? Their car policy when they get a flat tire? No, these things are not covered. And I argue that the common cold, a bad bruise, and innoculations for one's children ought not to be covered by any insurance at all. That's what you signed up for when you decided to have them.
Meanwhile the rest of us are suffering privacy intrusions due to the excessive costs of others who refuse to pay their own minor medical bills. One should always be wary that gubmint will take any opportunity to exploit all of us due to the actions of the few. There is indeed no "free lunch".
"The phone calls were part Big Brother, part benevolent parent. When a rare ice storm threatened New Orleans in January, some residents heard from a city official who had gained access to their private medical information. Kidney dialysis patients were advised to seek early treatment because clinics would be closing. Others who rely on breathing machines at home were told how to find help if the power went out.
Those warnings resulted from vast volumes of government data. For the first time, federal officials scoured Medicarehealth insurance claims to identify potentially vulnerable people and share their names with local public health authorities for outreach during emergencies and disaster drills."
carry your medical records with you and never ever let a clinic/hospital copy them, do not forget to take them with you when you leave.
This is good info to have! I was not aware that a patient was entitles to take their medical records with them (?). I have been paying cash for visits to my own doctor, maybe once every couple years, and assume he has my records. Perhaps I will ask him about taking the records with me, as we are quite friendly.
Big Brother will also call medical marijuana users and advise them to stock up before a hurricane hits; it is assumed that alcoholics will be adequately prepared.
Federal Law prohibits a health care entity from denying records to a patient. Every state has laws that require health care enitites to maintain a true and accurate copy of your medical record. So, even if you obtan your own medical records, the health care entity will still have a duplicate of it. A patient owns the information in their record so they can never be denied access to it, but the physical records or copies are the property of the health care entity. Despite what any health care professional claims, it is highly unlikely that a patient has the only copy of their records as that would be a violation of state health laws. But if a person feels better thinking their records are not out there somewhere, have at it.
Federal Law prohibits a health care entity from denying records to a patient. Every state has laws that require health care enitites to maintain a true and accurate copy of your medical record. So, even if you obtan your own medical records, the health care entity will still have a duplicate of it. A patient owns the information in their record so they can never be denied access to it, but the physical records or copies are the property of the health care entity. Despite what any health care professional claims, it is highly unlikely that a patient has the only copy of their records as that would be a violation of state health laws. But if a person feels better thinking their records are not out there somewhere, have at it.
nope, you can force the clinic to not copy them as you can say that their copy of your records would be a violation of your HIPA rights.
plus you can also find a clinic that will not copy them as well.
cash talk even better than having insurance.
nope, you can force the clinic to not copy them as you can say that their copy of your records would be a violation of your HIPA rights.
plus you can also find a clinic that will not copy them as well.
cash talk even better than having insurance.
That's a bunch of hog wash. HIPPA does not give you the right to deny the health care professional a copy of all files related to your care. Not so, not true... BUT, if you want to go ahead and believe that, as I said, have at it, play the fantasy game of having control.
To everyone else with functioning gray matter, think aout it, do you really think a patient can force a health care porofessional to not keep records? If that was the case, every lawyer would be standing outside the office ready to grab you and your records and sue the hospital or doctor because they would have NO records to support their claim. This is a myth that has been floating around for sometime, but unfortunetely, it is not true. There is a provision in law that allowes you to request confidentiality of the files which means the entity holding them can not release them your permission, but thats already a provision of HIPPA anyway.
I know we like to dream about the controls we have over governement and big business, and to an extent we do have a lot of control over our own privacy if we elect to use proper safeguards, however, as it relates to this topic, its pure fantasy that you and only you will have your health records. Sometimes, common sense is enough to know the truth......
That's a bunch of hog wash. HIPPA does not give you the right to deny the health care professional a copy of all files related to your care. Not so, not true... BUT, if you want to go ahead and believe that, as I said, have at it, play the fantasy game of having control.
To everyone else with functioning gray matter, think aout it, do you really think a patient can force a health care porofessional to not keep records? If that was the case, every lawyer would be standing outside the office ready to grab you and your records and sue the hospital or doctor because they would have NO records to support their claim. This is a myth that has been floating around for sometime, but unfortunetely, it is not true. There is a provision in law that allowes you to request confidentiality of the files which means the entity holding them can not release them your permission, but thats already a provision of HIPPA anyway.
I know we like to dream about the controls we have over governement and big business, and to an extent we do have a lot of control over our own privacy if we elect to use proper safeguards, however, as it relates to this topic, its pure fantasy that you and only you will have your health records. Sometimes, common sense is enough to know the truth......
I take my medical records with me when I go, and get all copies when I leave. what you say is pure crap, as you can take them with you. if it is an insurance claim I can understand the clinic keeping them for insurance claim, but not if you pay in cash.
I take my medical records with me when I go, and get all copies when I leave. what you say is pure crap, as you can take them with you. if it is an insurance claim I can understand the clinic keeping them for insurance claim, but not if you pay in cash.
Belive whatever you want to belive if it makes living in your fantsay world of fairy dusted privacy victories, But the fact is, you may have your medical records but so does the medical professional you just saw. I don't care what they told you, they are required by law to keep those copies and NO medical professional is going to jepordize their license over some dillusional privacy nut. They have your records, pure and simple. However, if it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, believe whatever you want/ I'm just making sure everyone else who reads this understand that you are just making an emplty, factless statement and if they think for a second they can get the only copies of the records kept safely in their hands, they are wrong.
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