Fwd: Medical Privacy: copy of press release

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>From: " The Liberty Committee " <list@...>

> " Liberty Activist " <libertyactivist@...>

>Subject: Medical Privacy: copy of press release

>Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 10:42:12 -0500

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>March 22, 2001

>

>

>Dear liberty activist,

>

>Here's a copy of a press release we sent to the media today via

>U.S. Newswire.

>

>If you haven't already signed the petition, please do so today.

>http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/medprivacypetition.htm

>

>Kent Snyder

>The Liberty Committee

>http://www.thelibertycommittee.org

>

>

>**********

>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Thursday, March 22, 2001

>Contact: Kent Snyder of The Liberty Committee, 703-241-1003

>Web site: http://www.thelibertycommittee.org

>

>

>-- " Medical Privacy " Doesn't Mean Privacy In Washington --

>

> " Washington's dirty little secret is out -- the so-called 'final federal

>medical privacy rule' recently announced by the federal government

>gives us less privacy, not more, " stated Kent Snyder of The Liberty

>Committee.

>

>Section 160.310: Grants the U.S. Department of Health and Human

>Services access to a person's medical information without his consent

>or a warrant.

>

>Section 164.512: Grants many third parties access to a person's medical

>information (including genetic information) without his written,

>informed, non-coerced (as in " sign away your right to privacy or we will

>deny treatment " ) consent.

>

>Sections 164.502 and 164.506: The U.S. Department of Health and Human

>Services has the ultimate authority to decide who can access your

>medical records without your informed consent.

>

> " The truth is that laced throughout the 367-page federal medical privacy

>rule are provisions that actually give a patient less control over his

>own medical records than he currently has. At the same time, these

>regulations give federal, state, and local governmental agencies --

>along with insurance companies, HMOs and others -- more access

>and more control than the patient himself has, " Kent Snyder stated.

>

>Reacting to growing public concern, U.S. Department of Health and Human

>Services Secretary Tommy reopened the comment period on these

>deceptive " privacy " regulations. Unfortunately, in order for a

>citizen's comment to be acceptable, it must follow guidelines as to form

>and content -- thus ensuring that many well-meant and deeply felt

>concerns will be discarded as simply not in compliance. As a public

>service, The Liberty Committee is providing a free on-line petition that

>meets the guidelines for comments and reminds Washington what the true

>definition of " privacy " is.

>

>The petition can be found at

>http://www.thelibertycommittee.org/medprivacypetition.htm .

>

>The Liberty Committee is a nationwide, grassroots organization of over

>51,000 Americans whose goal is to defend and advance liberty by

>restoring our national government to its constitutional limitations.

>

>-30-

>**********