CANCER PATIENT DATA TO CDC? The Minnesota legislature is planning to open the Minnesota Cancer Surveillance System to all 50 state governments and the federal government. The surveillance system is itself a violation of patient rights, but if passed into law, the data will be shared with the CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program registry. 

NATIONAL INTERSTATE CANCER EXCHANGE: In addition, the data of any patient in the country treated for cancer in Minnesota (e.g., Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota, border hospitals and clinics) will be shared with their home state’s government without patient consent. Minnesota has never done this in the 25 years of the surveillance system. 

VIOLATIONS: This violates patient privacy rights, Section 10 of the Minnesota state constitution, and the U.S. Constitution. Government has claimed the data of cancer patients as its own, and claimed a right to share it, analyze it, and use it – without patient permission.

TAKE ACTION: Ask your state legislator to vote no on the Cancer Surveillance System bill, HF 1329 (Carroll-D) and its companion bill, SF 2341 (Morrison-D). In addition, HF 2050 (Liebling-D) has been turned into an omnibus health care bill (many smaller bills incorporated into a single bill). 

IMPORTANT: The language of HF 1329 has been incorporated into this omnibus bill, but the online version of HF 2050 with this amendment has not yet been posted online. The large 50-page amendment to HF 2050 with the cancer surveillance system language in it can be found HERE.

HEARINGS: Both HF1329 and SF 2341 are headed to their respective Judiciary Committees. HF 1329 will be heard TONIGHT, March 16. The hearing on SF 2341 has not yet been scheduled.

To contact your Minnesota state legislator, click HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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