Balanced Against Other Interests, Patient Privacy Lost Out in Bush Administration's Modification of Federal Medical Privacy Rule

The Bush Administration's modification of the final federal medical privacy did not focus on the privacy needs of patients. It focused on the health care industry's desire for date, says one health care policy organization.

Would a Medicare Drug Plan Follow Oregon's New Drug Rationing Process?

If Congress passes a Medicare drug benefit next year, the Oregon Health Plan has provided federal officials with a process to limit medication choices. This should worry current and future Medicare recipients, says Citizens' Council on Health Care (CCHC), a Minnesota-based health care policy organization.

MN Health Powers Act Passes: Authorizes Health Officials to Detain Persons without a Court Order - any day, all year long

Although several citizen organizations testified multiple times against the provision, the MN Department of Health received authority to quarantine individuals and groups suspected of having a communicable or potentially communicable disease without a court order - 365 days a year.

MN Public Loses Rights in Health Powers Conference Committee

FIRST RIGHT: The first right to go was the right of the public to testify on the proposed legislation. Rep. Richard Mulder (R-Ivanhoe), chair of the committee and author of the bill (HF 3031), began the third hearing of the Conference Committee by saying public testimony would not be taken. It had not been allowed in the first hearing, but in the second hearing, thanks to the insistence of Rep. Lynda Boudreau (R-Faribault), the public was given permission to testify.

CCHC Testifies to Constitutional Concerns In Minnesota Health Powers Act

The Minnesota Emergency Health Powers Act has faulty reasoning and constitutional concerns according to Citizens' Council on Health Care (CCHC), a health care policy group which provided testimony in the Senate Health and Family Security Committee today.

CCHC Closed Meeting Provision Attached to Anti-Terrorism Bill

Closed meetings on security and emergency response procedures should not include discussions and decisions about medical procedures that impact the physical bodies of citizens, says Citizens' Council on Health Care (CCHC). The Civil Law Committee agreed. The amendment proposed by CCHC, and approved by the bill's author, was attached to the Minnesota House anti-terrorism bill (HF 2746).

HHS Unveils 24/7 Plan to Track Patients

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today released $1.1 billion and a plan to build government health surveillance systems in every state. The stated goal: to enhance public health infrastructure for bioterrorism preparedness. The plan: government access to everyone's medical record through their hospitals and doctor's offices.

"Freedom's Victory" Not Found in President's Pledge to Public Health Surveillance

Although President Bush stated that "America will lead by defending liberty and justice, because they are right and true and unchanging for all people everywhere," CCHC is concerned about a single sentence of the speech: "Knowledge gained from bioterrorism research will improve public health."

CCHC’s “Tax on Patients” Poster

"No tax should be hidden from the public. Increasing public awareness about the existence and cost of the tax, as well as how few of the dollars have been used for the subsidy program, is key to having a frank discussion on the value of the tax," says Twila Brase, R.N., president of CCHC.

CDC's Model State Emergency Health Powers Act Goes Too Far

To combat bioterrorism, federal health officials have proposed that state legislators give state health officials new powers over citizens. The powers proposed in the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act would be broad and sweeping, forcing citizens to submit to physical examinations, tests, quarantine and vaccinations against their will.