Gene:

First of all, my viewpoint and correct assessment of HIPAA is NOT spin. It is the result of my being a health-rights advocate from 1984 to this present day. That's twenty years of knowledge and experience in this area.

This was promoted as "protecting patients rights," that much is true. However, in reality, this is ANTI-PATIENT, ANTI-PRIVACY, and ANTI-PERSONAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOM.

I received boxes full of information on this subject --- between the information that I was either sent or given to me by all six of the doctors I am under the care of, and all the information that Paula had been given by her employer --- she works in a cardiac unit in a local area hospital.

When I started going over the hundreds of pages of legalise that came part and parcel of this so-called privacy legislation, I found out real fast that all of the programs open-endedness was leaving me on the short end of the stick.

There are no patient protections put in place to prevent potential and future government meddling and corruption of my data. Anyone from the appropriate government agency can assert certain aspects of PATRIOT ACT I & II --- and gain quick and easy access to all of my medical data without my knowledge or consent.

With the direction our government is heading --- this is a deep concern for myself and every patient who still has the ability to critically think.

Here is where problems can begin with HIPAA:

With new sections of PATRIOT ACT II --- data which formerly required a judge's subpeona can now be accessed with what are now called adminstrative subpeonas. These administrative subpeonas are unconstitutional, have no oversight, and there is no review or appeal process if I have been wronged in any way.

Let's say that I was up for a promotion at the company I work for. One of my competitors for that same position could have someone in the front office gain access to the drug rehab stint in my past, and place the file on the VP's desk. I would then be by-passed for the promotion with no recourse whatsoever.

Let's say that I had a genetic marker for CANCER and I wanted to apply for health insurance --- HIPAA could be used to gain knowledge about this --- and I would either be refused for that policy --- or pay a much higher rate for the monthly premiums.

There are many more scenarios --- and these situations may or may not come up. However, if they do come up, who protects me?

HIPAA is nothing more than yet another appearance of the TROJAN HORSE OF INCREMENTALISM --- taking away rights one step at a time.

KDB = Buffalo, NY USA