FC: Rep. Ron Paul on medical privacy regs (he doesn't like 'em)

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

**********

From: "Singleton, Norman" <Norman.Singleton () mail house gov>
Subject: Medical Privacy
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2001 09:20:59 -0500

Friends, some privacy advocates are claiming the privacy regulations
represent a victory for personal privacy. I thought you might like to see a
letter Congressman Paul sent to his colleagues regarding this claims:


March 22, 2001

The Dog Ate My Homework

The Check's in the Mail

The Government will Protect Your Medical Privacy. . .

Dear Colleague:

Proponents of the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) so-called
"medical privacy" regulation have launched a campaign to convince the
American people that these regulations protect their medical privacy.
However, these supposed "privacy advocates"  are neglecting to mention that
buried within this 367-pages of small print which comprise the medical
privacy regulation are provisions that :

                  Give state-favored special interests the right to access
private medical information -- including genetic information -- without
patients' consent (Sections 164.502 and 164.506).

                Force physicians to turn confidential medical records over
to HHS and other government agencies and law enforcement officials without
either individual consent or a warrant in complete disregard of the Fourth
and Fifth Amendments (Section 160.310).

I have introduced the Medical Privacy Protection Resolution (H.J.Res. 38),
which uses the Congressional Review Act process to overturn this misnamed
and misguided regulation.
Please don't allow medical privacy be eroded by a regulation which allows
government and the politically-connected to access personal medical records
without a patient's consent. Call Norm at 5-2831 and cosponsor the Medical
Privacy Protection Resolution today!

Sincerely,


Ron Paul, M.D.




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