Get Notice of CCHF Events! CCHF sends email invitations and notices for events and educational forums to those who request them. Such forums and events follow different formats and take place at various time during the year. To receive notice of an upcoming forum or event, send a request to CCHF. Electronic Health RecordsHHS Proposal Weakening Substance Abuse Priv. Rule — Wrong Direction for PatientsST. PAUL, Minn.—An effort is under way to weaken the federal regulation that for nearly 40 years has kept information about drug and alcohol treatment private. This should be a concern to all Americans, says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF), which exists to protect health care choices, individualized patient care, and medical and genetic privacy rights. ‘Give Doctors a Reason to Stay’ST. PAUL, Minn.—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently asked the medical community for input into a proposed “Patients over Paperwork” initiative, where additional focus would be placed on patient-centered care, innovation and outcomes, according to this summer’s Request for Information. 31.6 Million Patients Affected by Data Breaches This Year—Doubled From 2018—Why?ST. PAUL, Minn.—According to an eye-opening new report, “breaches of patient privacy appear to be on the rise in the first half of 2019 with an alarming number of records affected by security incidents: 31.6 million.”
Evidence-Based MedicineTraining New Doctors for the System
Medical schools are creating a new type of doctor. National Public Radio recently discussed medical training in the 21st century:
President’s “Precision Medicine” Ploy?The President wants your genetic code. Mr. Obama has announced a new “Precision Medicine Initiative” (PMI) that includes databasing medical records, genetic blueprints and lifestyles of a million or more Americans. Here are seven disturbing aspects of his initiative: Between a Rock…and a ReadmissionWe’re in a hard place. Last year, Obamacare initiated a program to reduce so-called “excess readmissions” in hospitals. Section 3025 requires all hospitals subject to the policy to pay a penalty, called a “payment adjustment,” up to 3% if they readmit too many Medicare patients within 30 days of discharge. Free-Market Health CareRFI - Patient Care Over PaperworkRFI - Patient Care Over Paperwork, submitted August 12, 2019: At the end of the day, we submit that your focus should be this: Give Doctors a Reason to Stay. Trump’s Drug Importation Plan Doesn’t Address Real Reason for High Drug PricesST. PAUL, Minn.—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that, in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it would publish a “Safe Importation Action Plan” outlining a pathway for the “safe importation of certain drugs originally intended for foreign markets.” GeneticsContact Congress About 3 Critical Health Care Issues While They Are Home for RecessST. PAUL, Minn.—Even though Congress could be called back from the August recess to address gun measures after the devastating shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is urging state residents to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives about three important health care issues. 5 Years Since MN Resumed Storing Baby DNA After Lawsuit Forced Them to StopST. PAUL, Minn.—More than 15 years ago, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) discovered that the Minnesota Department of Health was storing and using Baby DNA—the genetic blueprints of its youngest citizens obtained through newborn screenings—without parental consent. Government Health Powers ActCheckboxes, Ebola, and Embedding the EHRShould the EHR be blamed? After a Texas hospital let Liberian Thomas Duncan go home (with Ebola), hospital officials blamed the electronic health record (EHR). A day later, they retracted their statement -- without explanation. State Emergency Health PowersOn October 23, 2001, less than two months after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the proposed Model State Emergency Health Powers Act (MEHPA). The proposal was finalized in December 2001. It authorized state health officials and their designees to take control of people, property, health care, communications and more in a public health emergency. State legislatures debated it in 2002, and at least 40 passed some version of it. Most of the public is not aware of these police powers. For more information go to www.governmenthealthpowers.us Are You Ready for Ebola?Ebola has officially arrived in the United States. An infected man traveling from Liberia was diagnosed in Texas. A person close to him may also be infected. Officials assure the American public that Ebola is not easily spread; that it requires close contact with bodily fluids. They say the disease is contained to the man’s family and close friends. They are monitoring 12-18 people so far, including five children. Government ProgramsRFI - Patient Care Over PaperworkRFI - Patient Care Over Paperwork, submitted August 12, 2019: At the end of the day, we submit that your focus should be this: Give Doctors a Reason to Stay. Trump’s Drug Importation Plan Doesn’t Address Real Reason for High Drug PricesST. PAUL, Minn.—The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that, in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it would publish a “Safe Importation Action Plan” outlining a pathway for the “safe importation of certain drugs originally intended for foreign markets.” 5 Years Since MN Resumed Storing Baby DNA After Lawsuit Forced Them to StopST. PAUL, Minn.—More than 15 years ago, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) discovered that the Minnesota Department of Health was storing and using Baby DNA—the genetic blueprints of its youngest citizens obtained through newborn screenings—without parental consent. Health Care Reform - ObamacareWhen Trusted Physicians Are Cut Out of Patient Care DecisionsST. PAUL, Minn.—A significant court case this spring highlighted yet another emerging problem in today’s medical care climate—when hospitals limit who can admit patients. And it has come with deadly results in at least one instance, says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF). Burdensome Regulations Pushing Doctors Out of MedicineAccording to a recent study from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the nation may face a shortage of nearly 122,000 physicians by 2032, Healthcare Dive has reported. Congressional Attempt to End Surprise Medical Bills Will Socialize DoctorsST. PAUL, Minn.—Few would deny that surprise medical bills are a problem. Patients experience these shocks to their wallets when they visit a hospital or provider for a service or treatment they thought was “covered” by their insurance. Weeks later, they may receive a surprise medical bill with out-of-pocket costs totaling hundreds or even thousands of dollars. CCHF has sent a letter to President Trump telling him there's a better way than the price controls Congress proposes to impose on physicians. Health Care WorkforceBurdensome Regulations Are Pushing Doctors Out of MedicineST. PAUL, Minn.—According to a new study from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the nation may face a shortage of nearly 122,000 physicians by 2032, Healthcare Dive has reported. In part, the article blames the shortage on the “graying” of America, as both medical professionals and patients age, stating that “one-third of active doctors will be older than 65 within the next decade.” Will Employers Choose Your Doctors?
It was a startling announcement. Twenty large companies have joined to start the Health Transformation Alliance. With approximately four million workers between them, they “plan to share information about members’ employee health spending and outcomes, with an eye toward using findings to change how they contract for care.”
City of St. Paul to Vote Tomorrow on Getting Access to ‘Entire Medical Record’ of Certain Patients at HealthPartnersST. PAUL, Minn.—One privacy-focused health policy organization says a proposed data agreement between the City of St. Paul and HealthPartners may violate patients’ rights to give or deny access to their medical records and will put patients’ private medical data at risk. Health Disparities7.1 Million: Not the Number to Watch
The White House is gloating. President Obama’s cast and crew are celebrating their 7.1 million sign-ups. They claim success. Not so fast. This was just an April Fool's joke on the American people. Healthy People 2010 Document Focuses on Eliminating Health DisparitiesTHE U.S. CENSUS: From Enumeration to IntrusionThe U.S. Census has become an intrusive data collection tool for the federal government. The change from constitutional enumeration to federal intrusion has turned led to higher costs, public resistance, and lower compliance. The Census Bureau's plans to count everyone, not just citizens, may also deny American citizens their constitutional right to equal representation," says Twila Brase, president of CCHC. Health Exchanges -ObamacareSurprise Medical Bills Are Not the Problem— The Network IsST. PAUL, Minn.—It’s an all-too-common problem many Americans have faced. Patients visit a hospital or provider for a service or treatment they thought was “covered” by their insurance, only to receive a surprise medical bill weeks later with out-of-pocket costs totaling hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Why Are Republicans Silent on Obamacare Ruling?Republicans have pushed the mute button. On Friday evening, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional and the ACA "invalid" but many Republicans are quiet as mice. Independent Doctors in Naples, Florida, Being Forced Out of HospitalsST. PAUL, Minn.—Independent doctors in Naples, Florida, and their patients recently got an unwelcome holiday surprise. Health Savings AccountsThe BOLD Republican Plan for Health CareI’m not going to talk about Obama’s SOTU… except to say that I feel like I did the last time he had to get up and try to sell Obamacare to the nation: he doesn’t want to do it; he feels it’s beneath him; it’s four years after Obamacare and he’s perturbed that he still has to be marketing the law in a speech. So his comments lack passion. MEDICAL SHARING: An Inexpensive Alternative to Health InsuranceIf the U.S. Senate version of health insurance reform passes and premium costs increase as predicted by the Congressional Budget Office, medical sharing may be one of the only ways for Americans to get affordable coverage," says Twila Brase, president of CCHC Health SharingGive Yourself—and Others—the Gift of Health Care SharingST. PAUL, Minn.—Especially at this time of year, many Americans are looking for ways to save some money and tighten their budgets. With health insurance costs one of the major expenses for families, smart spenders and savers are discovering ways to lower their health care costs.
Shopping for Health Insurance? Consider Health Care SharingST. PAUL, Minn.—Many Americans will be starting their Christmas shopping this month—much of it online. If they are looking for new health insurance options, perusal of the online “marketplace” may occur as well. 5 Things to Do as Obamacare CollapsesAccording to the Associated Press, “Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market.” And to add insult to injury, about 1 in 5 consumers will be able to choose from just a single insurer, as more and more national insurers drop out. Health SurveillanceContact Congress About 3 Critical Health Care Issues While They Are Home for RecessST. PAUL, Minn.—Even though Congress could be called back from the August recess to address gun measures after the devastating shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is urging state residents to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives about three important health care issues. Clinic Closes After Massive Hack - Dangers of EHRsST. PAUL, Minn.—A huge patient data hack at a Michigan clinic this spring caused two doctors to retire early and close their office for good. This hack that crippled and killed an entire medical practice wasn’t the first, says CCHF, and it won’t be the last. CCHF Implores Government to Restore Pre-HIPAA RightsST. PAUL, Minn.—For much of its 20-plus-year existence, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) has worked to educate patients, policy makers, the media, medical professionals and even Congress that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) “Privacy Rule” isn’t about privacy at all. HIPAA Hurt Me
CCHF Implores Government to Restore Pre-HIPAA RightsST. PAUL, Minn.—For much of its 20-plus-year existence, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) has worked to educate patients, policy makers, the media, medical professionals and even Congress that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) “Privacy Rule” isn’t about privacy at all. ‘Big Brother in the Exam Room’ a Finalist for Two Midwest Book AwardsST. PAUL, Minn.—“Big Brother in the Exam Room: The Dangerous Truth About Electronic Health Records,” written by Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) president and co-founder Twila Brase, RN, PHN, is a finalist for two separate Midwest Book Awards. UPDATE: On May 4, the book WON the "Social Issues/Political Issues/Culture" category!
‘Big Brother in the Exam Room’ Wins Literary AwardST. PAUL, Minn.—Reader Views announced today that “Big Brother in the Exam Room: The Dangerous Truth About Electronic Health Records,” written by Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) president and co-founder Twila Brase, RN, PHN, has received a first-place honor in the 2018-2019 Literary Awards. HMOs & Managed CareRFI - Patient Care Over PaperworkRFI - Patient Care Over Paperwork, submitted August 12, 2019: At the end of the day, we submit that your focus should be this: Give Doctors a Reason to Stay. Health Plans Owning Doctors Is a Conflict of Interest—and Patients Pay the PriceST. PAUL, Minn.—What happens when a health plan purchases, runs or otherwise engages in the everyday operations of a hospital or clinic? It introduces a troubling conflict of interest between patients and their doctors, says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF). Congressional Attempt to End Surprise Medical Bills Will Socialize DoctorsST. PAUL, Minn.—Few would deny that surprise medical bills are a problem. Patients experience these shocks to their wallets when they visit a hospital or provider for a service or treatment they thought was “covered” by their insurance. Weeks later, they may receive a surprise medical bill with out-of-pocket costs totaling hundreds or even thousands of dollars. CCHF has sent a letter to President Trump telling him there's a better way than the price controls Congress proposes to impose on physicians. Human Subjects ResearchContact Congress About 3 Critical Health Care Issues While They Are Home for RecessST. PAUL, Minn.—Even though Congress could be called back from the August recess to address gun measures after the devastating shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is urging state residents to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives about three important health care issues. 5 Years Since MN Resumed Storing Baby DNA After Lawsuit Forced Them to StopST. PAUL, Minn.—More than 15 years ago, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) discovered that the Minnesota Department of Health was storing and using Baby DNA—the genetic blueprints of its youngest citizens obtained through newborn screenings—without parental consent. Revised Common Rule Strips Parents of Consent Rights Re: Baby DNA Used for ResearchST. PAUL, Minn.—As things stand, in just over two months parents will lose their consent rights for the use of their newborn baby’s DNA for federally funded research, once the revised Common Rule goes into effect on July 19, 2018.
Lawsuit DocumentsTexas v. The United StatesCitizens’ Council for Health Freedom joins with the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to affirm the invalidation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Judge’s ‘Mandate is Unconstitutional’ Ruling Gives States an Opportunity to Break Free *ST. PAUL, Minn.—A Texas district judge’s recent ruling that the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, and thus the entire law is "invalid," gives states an opportunity to break free from federal controls over care and coverage, says Citizens’Council for Health Freedom (CCHF). Matt Sissel v Department of Health and Human Services, et alCitizens’ Council for Health Freedom joins with the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and individual physicians to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Matt Sissel v. Department of Health and Human Servs, et al, a case opposing the delete and replace actions of the US Senate in the creation of the Affordable Care Act. Medical Practice GuidelinesCongressional Attempt to End Surprise Medical Bills Will Socialize DoctorsST. PAUL, Minn.—Few would deny that surprise medical bills are a problem. Patients experience these shocks to their wallets when they visit a hospital or provider for a service or treatment they thought was “covered” by their insurance. Weeks later, they may receive a surprise medical bill with out-of-pocket costs totaling hundreds or even thousands of dollars. CCHF has sent a letter to President Trump telling him there's a better way than the price controls Congress proposes to impose on physicians. ‘Big Brother in the Exam Room’ a Finalist for Two Midwest Book AwardsST. PAUL, Minn.—“Big Brother in the Exam Room: The Dangerous Truth About Electronic Health Records,” written by Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) president and co-founder Twila Brase, RN, PHN, is a finalist for two separate Midwest Book Awards. UPDATE: On May 4, the book WON the "Social Issues/Political Issues/Culture" category!
ACT TODAY - "FREEDOM TO OPT OUT OF MEDICARE”
On November 7, 2018, CCHF sent a letter to President Trump, co-signed by 37 other organizations. We petitioned President Trump to allow senior citizens to voluntarily opt-out of Medicare without losing their Social Security benefits. Then on December 13, we delivered our first batch of citizen petitions to the White House. That was a start, but it was only a start. ** Now we need you! **
Medical RecordsHHS Proposal Weakening Substance Abuse Priv. Rule — Wrong Direction for PatientsST. PAUL, Minn.—An effort is under way to weaken the federal regulation that for nearly 40 years has kept information about drug and alcohol treatment private. This should be a concern to all Americans, says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF), which exists to protect health care choices, individualized patient care, and medical and genetic privacy rights. Contact Congress About 3 Critical Health Care Issues While They Are Home for RecessST. PAUL, Minn.—Even though Congress could be called back from the August recess to address gun measures after the devastating shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is urging state residents to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives about three important health care issues. 31.6 Million Patients Affected by Data Breaches This Year—Doubled From 2018—Why?ST. PAUL, Minn.—According to an eye-opening new report, “breaches of patient privacy appear to be on the rise in the first half of 2019 with an alarming number of records affected by security incidents: 31.6 million.”
Medicare‘Give Doctors a Reason to Stay’ST. PAUL, Minn.—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently asked the medical community for input into a proposed “Patients over Paperwork” initiative, where additional focus would be placed on patient-centered care, innovation and outcomes, according to this summer’s Request for Information. CCHF Urges President Trump to Delink Medicare and Social SecurityST. PAUL, Minn.—Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) has sent a letter to President Donald Trump with an urgent request that will impact nearly every American as they age. Running on Empty: CCHF Points to New Report Showing Rising Costs and Future Insolvency for MedicareST. PAUL, Minn.—The recently released 2019 Medicare Trustees Report shows that Medicare spending will spike by 2038, with total Medicare costs expected to grow from 3.7% of gross domestic product in 2018 to 5.9% in the next 20 years, Modern Healthcare reported. Minnesota EngagementFinding Common Ground Leads to Major VictoriesHEALTH FREEDOM WATCH Volume 22: Issue 2: 2nd Quarter 2019 Defending the Strongest Patient Privacy Law in AmericaHEALTH FREEDOM WATCH Volume 22: Issue 1: 1st Quarter 2019 Seven More Days! What YOU can DO to Protect Health FreedomEvery day the MN legislature is in session your money and liberty are at risk. There are only seven days left, but do not breathe easy. The end-of-session pressure adds to the risk. MN Health Insurance Exchange RealitiesURGENT PRIVACY ALERT Call MN Representatives ASAPMN Legislature to Vote TOMORROW on Big Business Amendment that Permits Virtually Unfettered Access to Your Private Medical Records / Genetic Data WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT Health Insurers “Closed for Business”Health insurers are shutting down for seven months. It’s virtually lights out. Unless you have a qualifying “life event,” you must wait until open enrollment begins Obamacare on November 15. A product once available year around for Americans to purchase no longer is. The entire industry now runs on the Obamacare schedule. Rep. Darrell Issa Questions Governor Mark Dayton about Troubled State ExchangeRep. Darrell Issa (R.-Calif.), Chairman of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, has written a five-page letter to 10 governors, including Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, holding states accountable for troubled Obamacare health insurance exchanges, namely Minnesota’s exchange—MNsure. Dayton has been given until tomorrow, April 8, to reply. MN Health Records Act (MHRA)
Defending the Strongest Patient Privacy Law in AmericaHEALTH FREEDOM WATCH Volume 22: Issue 1: 1st Quarter 2019 MN Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Finance and PolicyWatch the video of the MN Senate committee stopping patient consent repeal. CCHF fought hard to stop SF 1575 (Sen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake) - a bill to remove patient consent requirements in the Minnesota Health Records Act. TOMORROW - Big Business Wants Your Medical Records!Act Today! MN Senate File 1575 allows corporations to claim your medical records as their own! With your calls, emails, or written testimony, we can stop this bill at the MN legislative hearing tomorrow afternoon, Tuesday, March 12. Join us at the hearing if you can! Contact committee members and your MN state senator TODAY to oppose SF 1575, which allows the powerful business community to access and use your medical records to control the exam room—and pursue profits. Will you help us stop them? National Health Information Network (NHIN)CCHF Alerts Patients That Govt. Wants to Share Their Private Medical Records BroadlyST. PAUL, Minn.—Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is urging Americans to comment on a 690-page proposed rule from the federal Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) that would require electronic health records (EHRs) to be “interoperable,” easily accessible and sharable EHR to EHR nationwide and prohibit “information blocking.” National Health SystemsContact Congress About 3 Critical Health Care Issues While They Are Home for RecessST. PAUL, Minn.—Even though Congress could be called back from the August recess to address gun measures after the devastating shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is urging state residents to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives about three important health care issues. House Vote to Support a National Patient ID would be the End of PrivacyST. PAUL, Minn.— In an amendment Wednesday night to H.R. 2740, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to eliminate the longstanding prohibition against funding a national patient ID, essentially a national tracking number to link all medical records together, requiring the ID for access to care (“no card, no care”). A stalwart advocate for patient privacy, Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) is deeply concerned about this reality. CCHF Responds to HHS Interoperability Request with Solutions to Protect PatientsST. PAUL, Minn.—Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is weighing in on the “heart” of the interoperability matter within health care. Patient Care
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