[Med-privacy] [Fwd: New York Blood Center requires SSN to donate]
Jeff Williams
jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com
Tue, 27 Apr 2004 21:21:30 -0700
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All,
For your review and consideration...
Regards,
--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k members/stakeholders strong!)
"Be precise in the use of words and expect precision from others" -
Pierre Abelard
"If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the burden, B;
liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied by
P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
United States v. Carroll Towing (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir. 1947]
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Message-ID: <408F0C5F.ADA52182@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 18:44:01 -0700
From: Jeff Williams <jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com>
Organization: INEGroup Spokesman
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To: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>, rjones@nybloodcenter.org
Subject: Re: [Politech] New York Blood Center requires SSN to donate [priv]
References: <408E893A.9030404@well.com>
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Declan and all,
I had heard this was the case with NY Blood center, and could not
believe it! Thank you for confirming! I have had a few of our regular
NY blood donors as well as two relatives in the NYC area, also now
refusing to donate under such conditions... I am told but cannot accurately
confirm that as a result of a number of our members now refusing to
donate under these conditions that more than 80 pints will no longer
be donated by our previously regular donor members...
I therefor would strongly recommend that NYbloodcenter.org remove
this requirement for donating blood immediately!
Declan McCullagh wrote:
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: NY Blood Center Requires SS# to Donate
> Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 12:09:31 -0400
> From: talcottk@optonline.net
> To: declan@well.com
> CC: rjones@nybloodcenter.org
>
> Declan:
>
> I went today to do my civic duty by donating blood -- the New York Blood
> Center is calling for 2000 donations each day to make up a blood
> shortage in this area. Unfortunately, the Blood Center refused to
> accept my blood without also taking my Social Security number. As a
> result, they got neither.
>
> Their rationale (from the www.nybloodcenter.org website, where on the
> FAQ page the heading "Social Security Number and Blood Donation" is
> highlighted in large red letters above all of the other FAQs) is
> followed by my comments:
>
> "The New York Blood Center uses social security numbers to uniquely
> identify donors, so that we can maintain a computerized record of each
> donor and all of the donations they have given to our organization."
>
> Comment: Of course one could devise any number of schemes to uniquely
> identify donors. Other blood banks will allow one to make up a unique
> identifier; similarly, the NY Blood Center could simply assign a unique
> identifier to the applications of each person who did not want to donate
> their SS# along with their blood.
>
> "After a person has donated blood for the first time a NYBC Donor Card
> with a unique "Donor Number" will be issued. Repeat donors may use this
> unique Donor Number in lieu of a social security number for any future
> donations, provided they present their signed donor ID card at the time
> of donation."
>
> Comment: This does not change the fact that the NY Blood center will
> have my SS# in its database, which is something I was trying to avoid.
>
> "The New York Blood Center uses social security numbers to uniquely
> identify donors, so that we can maintain a computerized record of each
> donor and all of the donations they have given to our organization. The
> purpose of unique records is to protect the safety of the blood supply.
> For example, we need to know that if a donor who is ineligible donates
> blood, it must be discarded. We need to be able to trace previous
> donations from a donor who subsequently tests positive on one of the
> blood screening tests."
>
> Comment: There appears to be a legitimate need to have a unique
> identifier for each donor. This does not justify selecting the donor's
> SS# as that identifier.
>
> "The federal Social Security Act states that blood collection
> organizations may use social security numbers as unique donor
> identifiers. It is fair to say that social security number is used
> throughout the country in this way. An acceptable alternative to social
> security number is passport or visa number."
>
> Comment: The many organizations that use SS#s to identify people,
> coupled with the failure of those organizations to safeguard those
> numbers, has given rise to the justifiable reluctance of those same
> people to part with their numbers.
>
> "Law at the state level addresses protection of blood donor
> confidentiality. We only release information about blood donors if
> required by law, such as Dept of Health reporting of various test
> results, or by court order. We never share information about donors with
> their employer, insurance company, financial agencies, etc. This
> includes demographic data such as social security number."
>
> Comment: Since when did my SS# become "demographic data"?
>
> "Multiple levels of access codes and passwords protect our computerized
> donor records."
>
> Comment: (1) Prove it. (2) Can you say "encryption"?
>
> "We have never had a breach in confidentiality of records."
>
> Comment: Can you say "hacker invitation"?
>
> Obviously this requirement has become a problem for the NY Blood Center.
> Maybe now would be a good time for them to devise a new scheme that
> would create a truly unique identifier for each of their donors, and to
> eliminate Social Security numbers from their records.
>
> Regards,
>
> Kelly Talcott
>
> _______________________________________________
> Politech mailing list
> Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
> Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)
Regards,
--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k members/stakeholders strong!)
"Be precise in the use of words and expect precision from others" -
Pierre Abelard
"If the probability be called P; the injury, L; and the burden, B;
liability depends upon whether B is less than L multiplied by
P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
United States v. Carroll Towing (159 F.2d 169 [2d Cir. 1947]
===============================================================
Updated 1/26/04
CSO/DIR. Internet Network Eng. SR. Eng. Network data security
IDNS. div. of Information Network Eng. INEG. INC.
E-Mail jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com
Registered Email addr with the USPS
Contact Number: 214-244-4827
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