New rules on medical data privacy
- August 11, 2002
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There are a lot of people who are upset about Bush’s new rules on the privacy of medical data. They claim it makes it easier for “powerful corporations” to prey on “ordinary Americans”. The truth is, this was already happening and has been for a LONG time. Who, with complete certainty, can say that doctors or their groups aren’t already swayed by the large pharmaceutical companies as to what prescriptions to give for different ailments? The critics of these new Bush rules trumpet the Clinton rules as a standard that protected the little man. Yet, this same article also says that the new rules make it a civil crime now for marketing companies to buy patient information, which was quite common under the Clinton rules.
Another point of contention is that patients who are embarrassed or ashamed about their ailment will fail to disclose the information to their doctor for fear of that information being given to third parties. That under the new rules, patients have less control over their medical records. Yet, again, later in the article one of the new rules specifically states that a patient has the right to review their own medical records and request changes to correct errors. How is this less control?
It seems to me that these new rules are actually protecting the individual more than the old ones. Does this mean that “evil corporations” won’t be able to find loopholes? Of course not, but no set of rules has ever been able to. By stating that, I’m not condoning those actions. I’m simply saying that what we have now is better than what we had. It’s a step in the right direction.
link: NYTimes - Bush Rolls Back Rules on Privacy of Medical Data