Public Comments • Sep 2016 • Minnesota Engagement • Patient Privacy

Privacy Alert!

Action Alert!
 
Attack Launched on Medical Privacy in Minnesota
 
DEADLINE: Monday, October 17, 2016 (7:00 p.m. CDT)
 
The Minnesota legislative session hasn’t started yet, but CCHF has just discovered a plan to take away your medical privacy rights currently protected under the Minnesota Health Records Act (MHRA). Last session, an industry-supported bill to repeal these privacy protections was stopped by CCHF and privacy supporters in the MN Senate.
 
After the bill died, the MN Department of Health (MDH) secured language in a bill that they are now planning to use to repeal Minnesota’s strongest-in-the-nation privacy law.
 
MDH has issued a request for information (RFI) to gather information from the public to make their case. The questions in the RFI are clearly slanted toward generating data to pressure legislators into repealing the MHRA and removing Minnesota’s consent requirements.
 
 
We need your help to stop them!
 
MDH is asking for public comments - so let's give them what they want!
 
 
 
 
Three simple steps to respond:
 
  1. Using our sample as a guide, answer questions in RFI -  START at Section B (page 8)
     
  2. Emphasize that current MN consent requirements must be retained. Please individualize using your own words or they could be ignored.
     
  3. Email the RFI with your response to MN.eHealth@state.mn.us using the subject line: "RFI: MHRA Costs and Impacts." (Deadline: Mon.  Oct 17, 7:00 p.m.) AND….in a separate email, send CCHF a copy of your RFI response using the same subject line: "RFI: MHRA Costs and Impacts.

 

**If you want to use MDH's "click and write" interactive RFI, click here.**
 

TRUTH: We cannot count on MDH telling legislators the truth about your responses, so we need to get our own copy so we can inform legislators.
 
IMPORTANT MINUTES: The RFI will only take minutes to complete. (It took one of our staff less than ten minutes.) These few minutes could be the most important minutes you spend to retain your privacy rights.
 
INFORM OTHERS: Please pass this important information on to your family members, friends, and coworkers so they too can fight to keep their privacy.
 
The fight for YOUR PRIVACY, YOUR CONSENT, and YOUR CONTROL over personal health information is coming this session and we need YOUR HELP!