[Med-privacy] litigation

[peter marshall]

LAWSUIT FILED OVER STIMULUS PACKAGE'S HEALTH IT PROVISIONS
[SOURCE: iHealthBeat, AUTHOR: ]

A new civil lawsuit alleges that the federal economic stimulus  
package's health IT provisions violate patients' privacy rights.
The lawsuit alleges eight counts of violating patients' rights to  
privacy, due process and personal security, as well as violations to  
the HIPAA medical privacy rule and Federal Common Law. Beatrice  
Heghmann, a registered nurse, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court  
for the Southern District of New York on June 25 and is seeking class  
action status. The lawsuit is seeking an injunction to limit access to  
patients' personal health information and prevent the distribution of  
the $22 billion allocated for EHR systems. Heghmann argues that a  
federal stimulus package provision that aims to get all residents'  
health records online by 2014 will put patients at risk of having  
their personal health information exposed. The lawsuit names HHS  
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, White House Office of Health Reform  
Director Nancy-Ann DeParle and CMS Administrator Charlene Frizzera as  
defendants.

http://benton.org/node/26299