[Med-privacy] Newsday.com story: Group Seeks Toss of Patient Privacy Rules
DPeelMD@aol.com
DPeelMD@aol.com
Thu, 11 Dec 2003 01:14:53 EST
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Group Seeks Toss of Patient Privacy Rules
=20
=20
By DAVID B. CARUSO
Associated Press Writer
December 10, 2003, 10:33 PM EST
PHILADELPHIA -- A group of doctors and patient advocates asked a federal=20
judge Wednesday to throw out new health care privacy rules, claiming they're=
=20
inadequate.=20
The federal regulations, which took effect in April, were designed to tighte=
n=20
patient privacy protections. But the group said they instead leave patients=20
powerless to stop disclosures of sensitive information.=20
U.S. District Judge Mary McLaughlin heard arguments on the regulations'=20
constitutionality; she did not indicate when she would rule.=20
The group of medical privacy advocates sued in April, arguing that the=20
department sacrificed patient privacy when it deleted a rule that would have=
=20
required a patient's written consent any time confidential data were release=
d.=20
James C. Pyles, an attorney for the group, said that change left patients=20
unable to stop private information from being given to people and companies=20=
not=20
directly involved in their care.=20
"All sorts of things can be revealed: your sexual orientation, whether you=20
have been tested for a sexually transmitted disease, whether you have ever h=
ad=20
an abortion," Pyles said in an interview. "Under the new rules, it's impossi=
ble=20
to know where the information is going, or who is seeing it."=20
Defenders of the regulations say those fears are unfounded.=20
Lawyers for the government argued that safeguards built into the law ensure=20
that medical records are distributed to as small a circle of caregivers as=20
possible.=20
In a legal brief, the Department of Health and Human Services said the=20
proposed rule requiring patient consent was rejected after regulators got th=
ousands=20
of complaints that it would have unintended consequences, including deprivin=
g=20
medical providers information needed to review the quality of their care.=20
Plaintiffs include Citizens for Health, a Washington-based health consumer=20
group, and the American Psychoanalytic Association.=20
Copyright =A9 2003, The Associated Press=20
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<P></P>
<H1>Group Seeks Toss of Patient Privacy Rules</H1>
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<TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>By DAVID B. CARUSO<BR>Associated Press W=
riter<BR><BR>December 10, 2003, 10:33 PM EST<BR><BR>PHILADELPHIA -- A group=20=
of doctors and patient advocates asked a federal judge Wednesday to throw ou=
t new health care privacy rules, claiming they're inadequate. <BR><BR>The fe=
deral regulations, which took effect in April, were designed to tighten pati=
ent privacy protections. But the group said they instead leave patients powe=
rless to stop disclosures of sensitive information. <BR><BR>U.S. District Ju=
dge Mary McLaughlin heard arguments on the regulations' constitutionality; s=
he did not indicate when she would rule. <BR><BR>The group of medical privac=
y advocates sued in April, arguing that the department sacrificed patient pr=
ivacy when it deleted a rule that would have required a patient's written co=
nsent any time confidential data were released. <BR><BR>James C. Pyles, an a=
ttorney for the group, said that change left patients unable to stop private=
information from being given to people and companies not directly involved=20=
in their care. <BR><BR>"All sorts of things can be revealed: your sexual ori=
entation, whether you have been tested for a sexually transmitted disease, w=
hether you have ever had an abortion," Pyles said in an interview. "Under th=
e new rules, it's impossible to know where the information is going, or who=20=
is seeing it." <BR><BR>Defenders of the regulations say those fears are unfo=
unded. <BR><BR>Lawyers for the government argued that safeguards built into=20=
the law ensure that medical records are distributed to as small a circle of=20=
caregivers as possible. <BR><BR>In a legal brief, the Department of Health a=
nd Human Services said the proposed rule requiring patient consent was rejec=
ted after regulators got thousands of complaints that it would have unintend=
ed consequences, including depriving medical providers information needed to=
review the quality of their care. <BR><BR>Plaintiffs include Citizens for H=
ealth, a Washington-based health consumer group, and the American Psychoanal=
ytic Association.=20
<P><CITE>Copyright =A9 2003, The Associated Press</CITE> </P></DIV></DIV></B=
ODY></HTML>
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