It has been widely asserted, and most people believe, that the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy of health information. Unfortunately, this is a myth. Just as the “P” in HIPAA does not stand for “privacy,” it turns out that the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which went into effect in 2002, actually eliminates privacy protection, and does so in a way that prevents privacy violations from being detected, monitored, or audited.

By  Diana Manos, Senior Editor

09/19/08

[Fall/Winter 2000; Vol. 27, No. 2; Pg 11-13]

ACLU attacks “unfettered law enforcement access to medical records...,” says that “DHHS Rule permits computerized medical records to be used as a vast centralized police database.”

Washington - How would you feel about your personal health information flowing freely over the Internet between public health officials, healthcare providers, insurance and data clearinghouse companies, and others – without your permission?

If this doesn't sound like a good idea, it's time to become informed about federal health privacy law.

5/27/2008

Dear AAPS Action Team,

Patient Privacy Rights' Founder & Chair, Dr.

Liberty Coalition would like to thank Dr. Peel for being our first guest blogger in 2008.

State Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, said she is “livid’’ that Napolitano
promised to have Arizona comply with the Real ID Act and promised to
fight the plan despite its voluntary nature.

“The federal government’s going to get all this information,’’ Johnson said.