Health Surveillance

Ten States to Connect with “Federal Surveillance Center”

The federal health department recently granted $1.5 billion in aid to states actively building their health insurance exchanges – government entities that feed private data into a ‘Federal Surveillance Center’ that has access to a wide variety of data about all Americans and makes it available to state and federal government agencies...

Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange Diagram

Minnesota Legislation: Senate File 1/ House File 5

Adding Minnesotans to “the largest consolidation of personal data in the history of the republic” - USA TODAY

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.

Obamacare Creates a Privacy Nightmare

Obamacare creates a privacy nightmare. Have you heard of the "HUB"? Last week in the USA Today, two authors laid out the national database being built by the Obama administration as part of Obama's federal exchange system. This is the "Federal Data Services Hub " (HUB). Back to eNews.

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.

MN's System Reform Was Once Considered "Communism"

WALTER MCCLURE, who worked with Paul Ellwood to create the HMO, was interviewed in August 2012. Minnesota's health care system is close to where he wants health care to be with outside analysis of patients and doctors. From the Interview: "When [McClure's] team started on [cost and quality] assessment in the 1980's, the idea that someone would be looking over a physician's shoulder was considered communism. Physicians were convinced of their right to autonomy. However, by 2008 Minnesota's private and voluntary sector had accomplished a sea change in this culture with 85 percent of providers in the state participating in having their outcomes measured." [our emphasis]

RE: CCHF Letter Opposing MN Collection of Patient Medical Records

Unless the Administrative Law Judge chooses otherwise, the Minnesota public will be at the mercy of the Health Department's warehousing, data-mining, tracking, research and health care rationing agendas. Their private data will be warehoused in the State of Maine and placed online. They won't have had a choice—or a voice.

Private Newborn Screening Options

Because newborn genetic testing can lead to the early diagnosis and treatment of rare newborn genetic diseases, most parents will want to have their child tested. For parents who do not wish to allow state government to collect and screen their newborn's blood for these genetic disorders and traits, there are...