Medical Records

Presidential Candidates Must Release Medical Records? Not So Fast

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Hillary Clinton’s camp has been dogged by her health concerns, especially after a “medical incident” that caused her to leave the 9/11 memorial service in New York City early and recover at her daughter’s apartment. After the sidewalk video seen ‘round the world,’ Clinton’s campaign team did release more information about the treatment of her recent bout with pneumonia.

HIPAA - it’s not an anniversary worth celebrating.

HIPAA, enacted 20 years ago yesterday, has all but eliminated patient privacy. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), enacted on August 21, 1996, enabled computerization of medical records without patient consent and state and national health information (“on the grid”) networks, established national health data and transaction standards and created federal identification and tracking numbers for doctors, hospitals, clinics, health plans, employers and patients. 

The Wedge of Health Freedom Will Restore the Mission of Medicine

Brand-New Initiative from Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom Points the Way to Patient-, Pocketbook- and Privacy-Friendly Alternatives

ST. PAUL, Minn.—In the complicated world of health care, there are doctors and practices who have returned to the simple mission of medicine—to care for patients without letting the business side of things take over.

Protecting Patient Privacy in a Health Care System That Hoards and Shares Data

Indiana Court Ruling Strikes a Blow Against the Protection of Baby DNA

Is Your Hospital Next?

Hacker attacks using ‘ransomware’ endanger patient lives. Recent attacks on electronic health record (EHR) systems have disabled hospitals full of sick and dying patients.

A Win for Patient Privacy

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Politico is reporting today that a little-talked about section of the House-passed 21st Century Cures Act (H.R.6) appears dead in the Senate. The House language would allow “HIPAA-protected information to be shared with researchers.”

Report Finds 300+ Obamacare Cybersecurity Incidents; HealthCare.Gov Vulnerable to Hackers

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Over 18 months, HealthCare.gov, the government online portal used by millions to purchase health insurance under Obamacare, logged 316 cybersecurity incidents from October 2013 to March 2015, according to a new report released last week.

Minnesota Bill Would End Coercive Consent Forms and Further Protect Patient Privacy

ST. PAUL, Minn.—Minnesota lawmakers yesterday advanced a bill that would ensure greater patient privacy protection by requiring patients to initial each item to which they are consenting on their health records at the doctor’s office, hospital or clinic—thus allowing patients to pick and choose exactly what information they would like to be shared between medical professionals and for what purposes, says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org), which testified yesterday in support of the bill.

CCHF Testimony - HF 1560 Patient Consent Requirements

Prepared Testimony
House File 1560 (Gruenhagen)
Initials required for each item of consent when requested to release health records.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Testimony of Twila Brase, President and Co-founder
Presented by Matt Flanders, Legislative Specialist