Medical Records

Why is Privacy Important to Freedom?

Obamacare uses data for control. The Obamacare health insurance exchange is one enormous federal data sharing system. The "HUB" I discussed last week is central to data-sharing. HHS will not only peek into private data. It will prowl. Consider how government surveillance has been used in history.

CCHF Comment on MN Health Records Access Legislative Study

As you know, according to Chapter 247 of Minnesota's Laws 2012, your department is required to report "any relevant patient privacy" recommendations from the heath records access study. We certainly expect to see such recommendations based on our comments and the comments of the general public in the upcoming report. In response to the three questions regarding consent, health records, notification of breaches and audit logs in the Minnesota Health Records Access Study, I provide the following comments on behalf of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom.

Take Action - Comment on MN Health Records Access Legislative Study

The MN Dept of Health wants your comments on patient consent before accessing private medical records, on having to inform patients about unauthorized access to medical records, and on whether patients should be able to see the electronic logs that show exactly who accessed their medical records, when, where, and why. You almost didn't get this opportunity. Deadline for Comments - Thursday, Dec. 20

Exchanges to Track Patients and Doctors - CMS Request for Comments

CMS has issued a request for comments, including a list of questions, on how to redesign health care through the Exchanges. It's under the rubric of Obamacare's "National Quality Strategy" (Section 3011) and it follows the Section 1311 requirement that Exchanges pay health plans more if they improve health outcomes through government reporting, case management, care coordination, chronic disease management, medication and care compliance initiatives, health IT, wellness activities, and reduction of "health disparities." Read the questions for clarity of intrusions to come.

Exchange Partnerships Are Deceptive; States Must Refuse Implementation

ST. PAUL, Minn. – With Friday’s deadline for states to declare their intentions with regard to implementing an Obamacare health insurance exchange past, several states agreed to allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to come into the state and “partner” with state officials in order to create a health insurance exchange. States like North Carolina, Arkansas, and Illinois will pursue such partnerships, seemingly unaware of the power they have handed to the federal government.

Impact of Obama’s Re-election on Implementation of the ACA

CDC Letter Requesting Tracking/Reporting of Tobacco Use & Immunizations, October 2012

As reported by Bloomberg/BNA's Health IT Law and Industry Report (10/29/12), Tom Frieden, director of the CDC wasnts doctors and hospitals to use EMRs to "track and refer tobacco users to public hotlines that offer support to patients working to quit smoking." In Stage 2 of "meaningful use" (MU), doctors and hospitals receive incentive payments if they record the smoking status of more than 80 percent of all patients 13 years or older. Patients may of course refuse to answer the questions or assist in the data collection.  The CDC letter also suggests that EHRs should "automatically retrieve information from immunization registries." Click to read the CDC's letter.

CCHF Outlines What Exchange is for Legislative Committee

CCHF's president testified at a hearing regarding the state of Minnesota being able to take and use $42.5 million without legislative approval to continue the building of the health insurance exchange which was executive ordered by Governor Mark Dayton. CCHF describes what the exchange really is and why they need to stop it.

U.S. Senators Cite CCHF Position in Health IT Letter to HHS

Four U.S. Senators, including Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) sent a letter to HHS asking several questions about "the final rule fo rthe Stage 2 of Meaningful Use for the adoption of electronic health records." Doctors and hospitals can receive taxpayer funds for adopting EMRs. Penalties for failure to adopt EMRs begin in 2015. In their fourth and final bullet, the Senators cited an article, "More voices raised against EHR incentives," discussing CCHF's concerns about EHRs and MU.

Stop Pushing Health Data Online, It Doesn’t Reduce Costs or Improve Care

ST. PAUL, Minn. –Michael Grunwald recently wrote in Healthcare IT News that health IT was one of the most transformative programs promoted by President Obama’s $27 billion Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health – or HITECH – Act within the Recovery Act. By computerizing medical data under the guise of cost control and improved healthcare delivery, the U.S. government has been able to implement what HHS Secretary Sebelius called the “foundation” for Obamacare.