Medical Records

New Parent Lawsuit Exposes Stolen ‘Baby DNA,’ Says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is applauding a new lawsuit where a group of parents are suing the state of Michigan for “stolen blood” because the Michigan BioTrust for Health stores Baby DNA for research—without parental consent.

Parents Sue Michigan for Stolen Blood (“Baby DNA”)

The Michigan BioTrust for Health is storing newborn DNA for 100 years. Philip Ellison, the father of a newborn, is an attorney whose job is to sue the government. He got nine other families together in a federal lawsuit. And he sued the state health department and the biobank. His special web page: stolenblood.com. For more on issue: itsmydna.org

World Aghast at Facebook Data Scandal, But HIPAA Shares Private Patient Data Every Day

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Headlines exploded when it was discovered that Facebook may have had a role in allowing a UK-based political data firm that worked for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign to improperly access data on 87 million people, CNN, among others, reported. Less than a month later, CNBC reported Facebook had a plan to match Facebook user data with patient data, which was put on hold after the previous leak was discovered.

Congress Moving Ahead to Take Away Privacy & Consent in Matters of Substance Abuse

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Patient privacy, when it comes to sensitive medical information, is almost a thing of the past—thanks to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) “no-privacy rule,” says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF). But one area that has remained private is data concerning substance abuse, currently kept separate from most medical records to protect patients.

MN Legislature is on One-Week Break - Here's What's Happened So Far

We've been busy this session. It's tough keeping track of what legislators are doing that could or will impact your health care freedom! There are lots of bills, unexpected amendments, and procedural surprises.

EHRs Were Supposed to Save Money— But Aren’t

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Proponents of electronic health records (EHRs) say digital medical records are supposed to cut costs, but a new major study by researchers at Harvard Business School and Duke University shows how the promised savings aren’t materializing.

Reaching Out with Unconventional Truth

HEALTH FREEDOM WATCH

Volume 21: Issue 1: 1st Quarter 2018

Not All EHRs Are Created Equal

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Anyone familiar with Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) knows the patient advocacy and privacy protection organization is no fan of the government mandate to install and “meaningfully use” Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

Minnesota Legislators Introduce Bills to Bypass Consent Requirements and End Patient Privacy

As Minnesota employs some of the country’s toughest patient privacy laws, this exception downgrades Minnesota’s consent requirements to the level of the federal HIPAA “No Privacy” rule, says CCHF. The bills, if passed, would circumvent Minnesota’s strongest-in-the-nation privacy law and render it useless.

Bills Introduced to Bypass MN Privacy and Consent Laws

On Monday, March 6th, Representative Nick Zerwas (R - Elk River) introduced HF 3312 and Senator Eric Pratt (R - Prior Lake) indtroduced SF 2975. These identical companion bills provide an exception to the patient consent requirements found in the Minnesota Health Records Act (MHRA). This exception downgrades Minnesota's consent requirements to the level of the federal "No Privacy" HIPAA rule. The bills, if passed, would circumvent Minnesota's strongest-in-the-nation privacy law and render it useless.