CCHC Calls on Gov. Pawlenty to Require Parent Consent for Storage and Use of Baby DNA

Only the Governor can stop the Minnesota Department of Health from eliminating informed parent consent requirements for the storage, use and sharing of newborn citizen blood and DNA, says Citizens’ Council on Health Care at a press conference held today at the Minnesota State Capitol.

MN House votes unanimously to gut the Minnesota Genetic Privacy Law

Today, in a shocking decision, the Minnesota House voted unanimously to eliminate the genetic privacy rights of citizens, starting at birth. The legislation will exempt warehousing, use, and analysis of newborn blood and DNA from the informed consent requirements of the 2006 Minnesota Genetic Privacy Law.

National "DNA Warehouse" bill passes; Americans citizens to become unwilling subjects of genetic research

Yesterday, in a voice vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to authorize the creation of a national DNA warehouse and broad-scale genetic research on the American public. S.1858, passed by the U.S. Senate last December, has been sent to the President for signing.

MN Senate votes to warehouse all newborn citizen DNA for genetic research without parent consent

Today the DNA of 780,000 children is already housed in the state warehouse. It was collected illegally, without parent consent or statutory authority. More than 73,000 children are born in Minnesota each year. That means 200 children a day are losing their genetic privacy, DNA property and personal autonomy rights.

CCHC Asks Gov. Pawlenty not to balance the budget on the backs of the sick

Balancing the state budget on the backs of the sick, the injured, and the dying is a violation of the purpose of the health care access fund, a violation of the promises made by the legislature to doctors and hospitals who must pay the tax and pass the cost on to patients, and importantly, a violation of the public’s trust.

CCHC tells Gov. Pawlenty thank you

We appreciate Governor Pawlenty's willingness to listen to the very real concerns expressed by the many testifiers that came to hearing after hearing. The Health Insurance Exchange promised to be a very unnecessary and expensive government bureaucracy that would have negatively impacted those who buy health insurance and those who sell it.

CDC gives $38.1 million to build intrusive patient monitoring system

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just awarded $38.1 million to facilitate the sharing of private patient data with government. This is a violation of the patient's Fourth Amendment privacy rights, says Citizens' Council on Health Care (CCHC).

TODAY: CCHC to testify in opposition to legislation that legalizes a State "DNA Warehouse" and allows genetic research on children without consent

The DNA, genetic profiles, and genetic information of more than 780,000 children have been taken hostage by the state of Minnesota. The genetic blueprint of these children is now stored in the State's DNA warehouse for government research. Every day the DNA of approximately 200 more children is retained as government property and added to the DNA warehouse without parent consent or legal authority.

CCHC Issues Citizens' Report of Dissent on Governor's Health Care Transformation Task Force Recommendations

Whatever claims may be made when the Governor's Task Force report is announced, we doubt that the concerns listed in our report will be mentioned. However, one simple read-through of the Task Force recommendations makes it clear that the proposed transformation principles and strategies would negatively impact patient right of privacy and individual care," said Twila Brase, president of CCHC.

Minnesota's Adverse Events Reporting System: Unnecessary Diversion of Dollars from Patient Care

Not everyone thinks government-mandated reporting of medical errors is a good idea. Citizens' Council on Health Care (CCHC) has looked at the statistics over the last three years and says, if anything, the reports continue to show how unnecessary the adverse events reporting system is.