Patient Privacy

U.S. Department of Defense Introduced Smart Card

Medical Privacy • October 10, 2000

Medical Savings Accounts

Articles/Letters Published • June 15, 2000

Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) are either tax-free or post-tax accounts which receive deposits of funds from employers or individuals that are used to pay for medical expenses. The MSA is attached to a high deductible insurance policy that is chosen by the individual. MSAs are little known because of political opposition, the desire of Congress to force the pooling of all health care dollars into HMOs, and a 1996 law enacting limited and restrictive MSA regulations which discourage marketing by insurers.

OASIS - The Outcome and Assessment Information System

Medical Privacy • August 01, 1999

OASIS - the intrusive home health data collection system

Medical Privacy • August 01, 1999

Medicare's OASIS home health data collection system

Public Comments • June 23, 1999

There is no obligation on the part of private patients to contribute to the Medicare OASIS database. Yet, OASIS regulations seek to collect data on all patients in the home health system. There is no statutory basis for coercion of non-subsidized patients into the federal data collection process. In fact, the Fourth Amendment prohibits such collection without patient consent.