What's New: 1999

December 15, 1999

Comment Period Extended for Medical Privacy Rule - Americans Have Until February 17, 2000 to Comment on Proposed Medical Privacy Regulations. "Individuals -- not the federal government -- should decide when, where, how and to whom their medical information is disclosed."

December 8, 1999

Cato Institute Sponsors a Forum on Medical Privacy: Speakers include Gary Claxton, Department of Health and Human Services; Ron Weich, Zuckerman & Spaeder; Sue Blevins, Institute for Health Freedom; and Solveig Singleton, Cato Institute. Click here to view the event covered by C-Span (1 hour, 30 minutes).

December 2, 1999

Mandatory Personal Health ID Number: Moving Closer to Reality? - Is the plan for mandatory personal health ID numbers moving closer to reality? (Link to NaturalHealthLine article).

December 1, 1999

U.S. Threatens Medical Privacy? Critics charge new health regulations will consolidate government power - Is the U.S. government moving closer to digitally warehousing medical information on all Americans? (Link to WorldNetDaily article).

November 29, 1999

Coming Soon. . . Every American Will Be Assigned a "Unique Health Identifier" - Every American will soon be assigned a "unique health identifier" (a patient ID number). How did this all come about? What can be done to stop it?

November 15, 1999

What Americans Need To Know About Medical Privacy Regulations - Did you know that under the proposed privacy regulations, individuals will not be able to sue if their medical privacy is invaded?

November 4, 1999

Act Now To Protect Your Medical Privacy: Americans Have 60 Days to Comment on Proposed Medical Privacy Rule - The public is being told they have a new right to medical privacy when, in fact, they can't sue or bring a private course of action for damages caused by a breach of confidentiality, under the rule.

October 18, 1999

Government Begins Collecting Data on Homebound Seniors & Disabled - What's most astonishing about Medicare's OASIS program is that that the government is not only collecting data on homebound patients, but on their caregivers too! That includes husbands, wives, children, or whoever else assists seniors and the disabled in their homes.

October 5, 1999

Appeals Court Rules in United Seniors Association v. Shalala - Are seniors allowed to pay privately for the health care of their choice?

September 14, 1999

Dr. Gore Will See You Now - Link to a Cato Institute editorial.

September 1, 1999

"Unionversal" Health Care For All? - In the coming months, watch out for the buzzwords "universal" and "right to health care." This rhetoric might sound good. But mandatory universal coverage could strip Americans of their freedom to buy the health services they prefer.

August 11, 1999

Shots in the Dark: Who should decide which vaccinations children receive? - Today, U.S. vaccine policy is set by a 12-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) appointed by the federal government's Secretary of Health and Human Services. . . In effect, 12 people have the power to determine which vaccines will be mandatory for millions of American children.

August 4, 1999

Electronic Privacy Information Center: Medical Record Privacy - Information from your medical records may influence your credit, admission to educational institutions, and employment. It may also affect your ability to get health insurance, or the rates you pay for coverage.

July 22, 1999

Attention Medical Privacy Advocates: Congress Needs Your Input by August 3! - The debate over medical confidentiality is heating up on Capitol Hill. If you're concerned about your medical privacy, then you need to voice your personal opinion soon!

July 15, 1999

Medical Privacy Alert: Just Three Weeks to Act! - Can such vague legislation really guarantee that researchers won't be able to trace back patients' personal information -- including genetic and cellular information?

July 13, 1999

Added Medicare News and Health Care News buttons to left margin of What's New page.

July 8, 1999

Medical Privacy Alert: Congress Faces August 21 Deadline - "Individual medical records, including patients' genetic information, could be disclosed by health insurers to credit card companies and other financial institutions."

July 1, 1999

Does Government Need to Know if Grandpa Curses? Heritage and ACLU say NO! - HCFA has yet to explain how any of its objectives can justify overriding the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the requirements of medical ethics, and the federal regulations on research involving human subjects.

June 21, 1999

What's Congress Doing About Medical Privacy? - Will Congress pass a bill that truly gives consumers the ability to maintain their medical privacy?

June 14, 1999

Who Controls Your Medical Records? - Most states have laws that guarantee patients the right to access their own medical records, but H.R. 354 would preempt these even though it exempts certain other state laws.

June 9, 1999

Are We Headed For A Medical Privacy Invasion? - "A growing number of Americans feel they are losing control over their medical privacy. That loss is real," stated Blevins. Congress Faces August 21 Deadline; Mark-Up Begins June 15.

May 25, 1999

Institute for Health Freedom To Host Panel Discussion on Medical Privacy Issues - The deadline is approaching. If Congress does not pass a medical privacy law by August 21, 1999, then the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is required to establish regulations governing your medical privacy.

May 10, 1999

Actress Jane Seymour Testifies on Alternative Medicine - ...42% of Americans used at least one in 16 [various] alternative therapies...

April 12, 1999

Why Did U.S. FDA Approve Sale of Prison Blood? . . . And Why Did Canada Buy It? - Was the FDA negligent for licensing the sale of high-risk prison blood to Canada? That question will most likely be answered by a forthcoming class-action lawsuit.

March 29, 1999

HMOs' Rise Driven by Government, Not Market - Unbeknownst to most, Congress has essentially mandated managed care for everyone.

March 22, 1999

"Will A "Patients' Bill of Rights" and New Medicare Reform Proposal Guarantee the Right to Contract? - H.R. 958 would also force seniors to share their medical claims' records with government bureaucrats.

March 1, 1999

Why Haven't Government Officials Notified Individuals Who Received Tainted Blood? - What do you think the FDA would do if alternative providers or vitamin manufacturers unknowingly sold a product that infected hundreds of thousands of Americans with a deadly disease?

February 12, 1999

Protecting Your Medical Privacy

January 22, 1999

Vaccinating Children: Where Do We Draw the Line? - Why are individuals worldwide challenging the Hepatitis B vaccine policy?

January 22, 1999

Do you think all vaccines recommended by federal health officials should be mandatory? - Here are some links to web sites that provide you with information from both sides of the debate.

January 5, 1999

Who's Reading Your Medical Records? - Did you know that your health history can be investigated by insurance companies, government agencies, and health care personnel? Find out how you can investigate the investigators.