Washington, DC—In less than two months, your personal health information—including your past medical records and genetic information—will be open to the federal government (specifically the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), data-processing companies, insurers, hospitals, doctors and some others—without your consent!

Beginning October 15, 2002, your existing medical records (information that you had previously given consent for) will become open to many others, according to Jim Pyles, an attorney representing the American Psychoanalytic Association. According to Pyles, the revised federal medical privacy rule that most providers must fully comply with by April 14, 2003, will actually permit the disclosure of individuals' personal health information as early as October 15, 2002—less than two months away.

Citizens and media from across the country are asking what they can do to stop the release of their personal health information without their consent. Here are some options and freedoms that all Americans can exercise to voice their own opinions and to make policymakers accountable. You can:

• Ask President Bush to sign an executive order to immediately overturn the revised federal medical privacy rule (published in the Federal Register on August 14, 2002) to make clear that individuals' health information shall not be released without individuals' consent.
• Get an attorney to file a lawsuit calling for a temporary injunction to stop the rule from taking effect on October 15, 2002 (thereby stopping the flow of your personal health information on that date).
• Ask Congress to pass emergency legislation to stop the release of your medical records (which can be disclosed legally beginning October 15, 2002) or to utilize the Congressional Review Act to stop the revised federal medical privacy rule from taking effect.

The Institute for Health Freedom serves as an educational organization to keep citizens informed about timely health freedom issues. We provide you with information, but you decide what to do with it! For more information about health privacy issues, visit www.ForHealthFreedom.org/Publications/Privacy.